In China, robust passenger travels in both the domestic and international sector boosted the overall traffic growth to reach approximately +12%, the second highest level in 2017 behind January.
Hong Kong – In November, passenger traffic at Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern airports grew +10.6% and +3.5% respectively compared to the same period last year, according to ACI Asia-Pacific.
In China, robust passenger travels in both the domestic and international sector boosted the overall traffic growth to reach approximately +12%, the second highest level in 2017 behind January. Since August, the pace of domestic passenger growth in China has been gradually regaining strength, while international passenger traffic growth accelerated. Overall, the top three volume drivers for Nov 2017 in China were: Guangzhou (CAN) +11.6%, Beijing (PEK) +7.5% and Tianjin (TSN) +36.2%.
The Indian market continued to be sustained by strong domestic demand with overall year-on-year growth at around 14% in November 2017. Both domestic and international passenger travels have been steadily trending upward since July 2017. The top 3 airports in the country all developed double-digit growth this month: Delhi (DEL) +11.8%, Mumbai (BOM) +12.1% and Bangalore (BLR) +12.4%.
Elsewhere in the region, strong growth was observed in a number of airports in Thailand. The country is reportedly benefiting from a significant increase in international tourists: Bangkok (BKK) +16.6%, Bangkok Don Maeung (DMK) +15.9% and Phuket (HKT) +18.6%.
In the Middle East, passenger traffic continued to show mixed results in November. Dubai (DXB) grew by +5.7% while Doha (DOH) -18.8% was negatively impacted by Qatar’s diplomatic crisis with a number of neighbouring states. Kuwait (KWI) and Muscat (MCT) both reported significant growth at +25.6% and +17.2% respectively.
In terms of air freight, Asia-Pacific and Middle East grew +7.2% and +2.9% respectively in November. Current month’s growth continued to be driven by strong demand in Asia-Pacific, and boom in cross-border e-commerce activities. The top freight hubs all reported strong results: Hong Kong (HKG) +6.9%, Shanghai (PVG) +6.8% and Incheon (ICN) +8.2%. Dubai (DXB) in the Middle East reported an increase of +0.4%.
Note :
- ACI preliminary passenger and freight statistics are based on a significant sample of airports that provide regular monthly reports to ACI. They represent approximately 60% of total passenger traffic and 70% of total freight traffic worldwide. Commentary, tables and charts are based on preliminary data submitted by participating airports and are therefore subject to change.
- Size categories refer to the annual passenger traffic (in the last 12 months)
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales. She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
