Better passenger, cargo load expected next year

[SINGAPORE] A pick-up in both passenger traffic and freight volumes is expected in the next year, though cargo yields may dip slightly while passenger yields are expected to edge upwards, according to a quarterly survey.

The International Air Transport Association's (Iata's) April survey, which polled chief financial officers (CFOs) of airlines and heads of cargo, showed that both passenger traffic and cargo volumes increased year-on-year in Q1, with expectations for a further pick-up in the coming 12 months. However, cargo traffic is likely to grow at a slower clip than passenger demand.

Seventy-six per cent of those polled said passenger traffic would rise in the next year, a stronger response than the 72 per cent who had made that projection in the last survey in January.