August 28, 2025
Preliminary July 2025 traffic figures released by the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed a sustained increase in international passenger demand, fuelled by growth in tourism markets. International air cargo demand remained resilient, buoyed by stronger export activity ahead of the implementation of US tariffs in early August.
The region's airlines registered a 7.7% year-on-year increase in international passengers carried, bringing the monthly total to 33.4 million. Measured in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK), demand rose by 8.0%, while available seat capacity expanded by a slightly higher 8.6% year-on-year.
Total air cargo demand grew by 6.5% year-on-year, building on last year's strong performance. Inventory build-ups ahead of the introduction of tariffs by the U.S., along with the rerouting of shipments and diversification of sourcing, contributed to the growth in volumes
International air cargo demand, as measured in freight tonne kilometres (FTK), recorded a firm 8.6% year-on-year increase in July, despite prevailing weakness in global trade flows.
With offered freight capacity up by 6.4%, the average international freight load factor improved by 1.2 percentage points to 62.0%.
Source: AAPA