Cathay Pacific Airways today released combined Cathay Pacific and Dragonair traffic figures for April 2008 that show the number of passengers carried by the two airline rising again, though failing to keep pace with the increase in capacity. The increase in cargo tonnage, meanwhile, was on a par with the capacity rise.

In April the two airlines carried a total of 2,068,951 passengers - an increase of 7.2% over the same month in 2007 - and saw a 14.3% rise in capacity, measured in available seat kilometres (ASKs). The month's load factor was down 1.0 percentage points to 79.4%. For the year to date, the number of passengers carried has risen by 13.6% - on a par with capacity growth of 13.4%.

Between them, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair carried 142,106 tonnes of cargo and mail in April - up 8.5% on the same month last year - while cargo capacity, measured in available cargo/mail tonne kilometres, climbed by 8.4%. The cargo and mail load factor rose by 2.7 percentage points to 67.6%. For the year to date, cargo tonnage has risen by 7.4% compared to a capacity rise of 8.2%.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said: "Generally we were pleased by our passenger performance in April, though comparisons with the same month last year are skewed by the fact that Easter fell in different months. Looking ahead, bookings remain within expectations through to the summer peak in July and August."

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: "Demand out of Hong Kong and Mainland China remained quite robust in April and business was boosted by a good market reaction to our recently launched freighter service to Hanoi and Dhaka. However, increasing jet fuel prices are inflicting serious damage on our freighter business and we stand to face increasing competition from ocean cargo in May and June, which are traditionally slack months for cargo out of Asia."