Asia Air Cargo Reaches 2009 High

Asia’s air carriers saw their strongest signs yet of recovery in the air cargo business, reporting their busiest month in nearly a year in September, according to figures released by the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines.

Although freight traffic fell 6.5 percent against the same month last year, the year-over-year decline was the slimmest the AAPA has reported since August 2008 and shipping grew 4.7 percent from August to September.

Traffic reached 4.06 freight metric-ton kilometers flown, the highest number the AAPA has reported since November 2008 and nearly 28 percent better than the low point of the downturn in February.

The improving demand also came as the air carriers got dramatically more efficient. The AAPA said airlines cut their freight capacity 11.2 percent compared to September 2009, pushing the freight load factor to 68.7 percent, the highest it’s been in more than two years.

Industry analysts say air carriers have grounded more than 200 freighters over the past year, and many were working in the Asia-Pacific market.