APRIL traffic figures from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) showed a 272.9 per cent jump in the number of international passengers to 4.8 million, reports Singapore's Asian Aviation.

Against this, international air cargo demand as measured in international freight tonne kilometres (FTK) fell for the second consecutive month in April by 8.5 per cent year on year.

Offered freight capacity decreased by 3.1 per cent compared to the same month last year, leading to a 4.2 percentage point decline in the average international freight load factor to 70.3 per cent for the month.

Carriers have been relying on cargo to see them through the pandemic, but the start of the second quarter saw a reduction in global manufacturing, with the Russia-Ukraine war and tight Covid rules in China constraining trade on major routes.

But passenger demand rose 15.2 per cent of the volumes posted in the pre-pandemic month of April 2019. In revenue passenger (RPK) terms, international passenger demand increased by a robust 302.7 per cent year on year, reflecting the strength of longer haul traffic.

Available seat capacity expanded by 77.5 per cent year-on-year, resulting in a solid 36.3 percentage point increase in the average international passenger load factor to 64.9 per cent for the month, the highest level achieved since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

Organisations like the International Air Transport Association (IATA) have developed digital health passports, but there is no agreed upon set of standards, which have limited their use.

"With vaccination rates high in the region, the general easing of border regulations has unleashed pent-up travel demand, as evidenced by the strong growth in international passenger numbers in April and healthy forward booking patterns," said AAPA director general Subhas Menon.

"By contrast, the air cargo business faces some challenges, from rising geopolitical tensions, persistent supply chain disruptions, to intensifying inflationary pressures. The first four months of this year has seen international air cargo demand fall 1.6 per cent compared to the previous corresponding period, after a strong upturn in 2021," he said.