Cathay Pacific has revealed its August 2023 traffic numbers, stating that the outlook for the rest of 2023 looks promising.
The airline said it carried 1.78 million passengers and 116.9 tons of cargo in August 2023. Passenger and cargo tonnage numbers grew slightly compared to July 2023, when the airline carried 1.74 million and 115.7 tonnes of passengers and cargo, respectively.
“Travel demand remained strong as we entered the second month of the traditional peak summer season in August,” Lavinia Lau, the chief customer and commercial officer of Cathay Pacific, said.
Lau added that the carrier responded to the demand by increasing flight frequencies throughout the month, detailing that in early August 2023, Cathay Pacific “saw consistently high demand for leisure travel from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area to various short-haul destinations”.
In terms of outbound travel, the first half of the month was defined by strong demand for travel from Japan to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and connecting destinations in Asia and Europe.
“Meanwhile in the latter part of the month, there was a notable increase in student travel to Canada, the US and the UK from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland ahead of the start of the new school year,” Lau added.
The executive noted that while the summer is typically a “quieter season” for cargo, its tonnage has remained similar to July 2023, with e-commerce remaining “a bright spot”.
“Looking ahead first at our travel business, continued demand for student travel to the UK in particular will provide a good boost in September, while overall the outlook for the rest of 2023 looks promising,” Lau noted.
Cathay Pacific has continued adding more flights to mainland China, with the airline now operating 170 return flights to 16 airports in 15 different cities.
Meanwhile, Lau mentioned that cargo is beginning to pick up, with businesses beginning to plan for several holiday-related shopping periods, including Black Friday and China’s “Singles’ Day”.