Cargo traffic for Asia-Pacific airlines grew 25 percent in August over the same month a year ago, the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines reported, the lightest year-over-year growth this year.
The figures, including a 4.2 percent dip in August freight traffic from July, signaled greater stability in air cargo business in the region following a strong recovery from last year's historic declines.
The airlines also brought freight capacity back at a better than 20 percent rate for the fourth straight month, expanding available space 20.7 percent compared to August 2009. That brought the freight load factor down 2.7 percentage points from the month before to 68.9 percent, the lowest point for that key utilization measure since February.
The moderating traffic expansion comes as air freight prices in the region have been slipping heading into the fall. The Drewry Air Freight Price Index for shipping out of Asia reached its lowest point of the year in July and was off nearly 20 percent from its 2010 high in May, according to Drewry Shipping Consultants.
Freight traffic for the Asia airlines was up 32.1 percent in the first eight months of this year compared to the same period a year ago.
