Press Releases 2005
Asia-Pacific Air Transport Growth Rates Accelerating
10 October 2005
ASIA-PACIFIC AIR TRANSPORT GROWTH RATES ACCELERATING, OAG REVEALS
- Asia-Pacific intercontinental flights up 7%
- 8% growth in intra-regional services
- China's double-digit increases drive regional growth
- Low-cost airlines take off in Asia
Growth in Asia-Pacific airline activity continues to accelerate, with further big increases in China flights and huge percentage increases in low-cost operations.
Airlines have this month scheduled more than 42,000 flights to and from the Asia-Pacific region, seven per cent more than in October 2004. The number of intra-regional services on offer is eight per cent higher than a year ago.
That compares with global year-on-year growth of just two per cent. The world's airlines will this month operate more than 2.35 million passenger flights, putting more than 272 million seats on sale.
The figures are revealed in OAG's latest Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics, a regular snapshot of airline activity around the world. OAG collates data from more than 1,000 scheduled airlines, on a daily basis, to give an overview of anticipated travel demand.
Flights to and from Africa are up ten per cent; this month sees a nine per cent increase for flights to and from the Middle East; Europe is up seven per cent; and North America four per cent.
Once again, flights to, from and within China are driving Asia-Pacific growth rates. The number of services into and out of China is up 12 per cent, while domestic timetables are packed with more than 115 thousand flights, 18 per cent up on October 2004.
Commenting on the low cost market in the Asia Pacific region, Fred Seow, VP OAG Asia-Pacific stated:
"Asia-Pacific's budget airlines are becoming a force to be reckoned with - the number of low-cost flights operating to and from the Asia-Pacific region has rocketed by a phenomenal 666 per cent since last year. While the overall actual number of flights remains small, 774 low-cost flights this month against a mere 101 in October 2004, the low-cost business model is clearly catching on fast."The more mature intra-regional low-cost market this month sees a 31 per cent increase in available flights.
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For further information about OAG please contact Duncan Alexander, Managing Director Business Development at OAG on +44 1582 695476 dalexander@oag.com or Margareta Stanley at DBA on +44 207 930 8033 or e-mail info@nchl.demon.co.uk
For more detailed OAG statistical analysis on capacity trends please call Margareta Stanley at DBA on +44 207 930 8033.
About OAG
OAG is a global content management company specialising in travel and transport.
OAG's expertise is in managing large amounts of data and building applications and products to get that information into the hands of people who need it.
OAG holds a breadth of travel related content. It is best known for its airline schedules database, which holds flight details for 1,000 airlines and more than 3,500 airports. It also aggregates and distributes a wide range of other travel related information such as flight status data, cargo and freight schedules and aviation market intelligence data.
OAG provides a broad range of travel and transportation related products for business and consumer customers, available in virtually any way the customer wants it: Via the Internet, on mobile devices, via digital data transfer and print.
OAG is a private company with over 400 staff in Europe, The Middle East, The Americas and Asia.
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