ASSOCIATION NEWS
Asia-Pacific airline PAX traffic up 8.9% in May
Ports, like the one in Tallinn, will be part of a guide and rating system by Cruise Baltic
ember carriers of the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) carried 16.6 million international passengers in the month of May, an increase of 8.9% compared to the same month last year. Revenue passenger kilometers (RPK) for international traffic also grew by 7.0%. Growth in available seat capacity matched the increase in traffic demand, which resulted in an international load factor 73.7% for the month. The ongoing weakness in the region’s cargo markets persisted. International cargo loads declined 5.3%, in freight tonne kilometers. The average international air cargo load factor for Asia Pacific carriers fell by 1.6 percentage points to 66.6% for the month, based on a 3.0% contraction in offered freight capacity. “During the first five months of the year, we have seen a relatively robust 8.7% growth in the number of international passengers carried by Asian airlines, reflecting positive consumer confidence, despite lingering concerns over the fragility of the global economic recovery,” said Andrew Herdman, AAPA Director General Herdman added he was encouraged by the increase in passenger demand and the moderating oil prices. “Nevertheless,” he continued. “Asian carriers are still braced for a challenging second half of 2012, in view of widespread competitive pressures, the continued weakness in air cargo markets, and unresolved concerns over the outlook for the global economy.”
M Baltic Ports to be benchmarked by organizing group he Ports Standard Working Group of Cruise Baltic is preparing an interactive document that will serve as a guide and rating system for all ports within the region. The Working Group outlined the recently approved format for the document at the mid-year Conference of Cruise Baltic, held last month in Tallinn, Estonia. “This process will allow us to benchmark our Baltic destinations, motivating each port to reach the same, consistent standards. With this monitoring system in place we can assess what is needed for the future," said Luis de Carvalho, CEO of Consult, who moderated a panel discussion on the new study during the Cruise Baltic mid-year conference. Forty-four cruise lines and 88 ships are operating in the Baltic. Cruise Baltic
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Director Bo Larsen said the new document would help create a “platform” for business opportunities in the region. “There is always room for improvement and we must continue to achieve our goals by doing better,” said Larsen. “At our next meeting in Oslo in October we shall concentrate on our future strategy for growing business, providing cruise travelers with easy access to the 10 countries in our region.” The following day, analyst and freelance journalist Tony Peisley moderated the day’s events. In his introduction, Peisley predicted modest growth in the industry with cruise passengers boardings increasing from 20 million today to 30 million by 2025-25. “Even in times of economic recession, in terms of the travel industry, the cruise sector performs best in terms of sales and satisfaction levels,” he said.
IFSA forms communications committee he Communications Advisory Council (CAC) of the International Flight Services Association was recently formed to help the group “become more active in providing a united voice on matters involving the interests of the onboard services industry.” The committee will be responsible for several tasks initially, and will finalize a list of priority projects at the end of July. The Council will serve as a media spokesperson on topics related to broader industry
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issues. IFSA also plans for the council to be a source for industry statistics and a place where membership can look for communication. Members of the CAC are: (Chair) Christina Ulosevich, Corporate Communications, gategroup; Josefine Corsten and Dena Aly, Corporate Communications, LSG Sky Chefs; Gail Kay, Inflight Services Commercial Manager, Virgin Atlantic Airways; Judy McLaren, Marketing Specialist, Green OnBoard; and Uyen Nguyen, Marketing Manager, Cuisine Solutions.
UPCOMING EVENTS 2012 5th China Airline Catering Management Summit 2012, September 5-6, Hotel New Otani Chang Fu Gong, Beijing. For more information, contact Yvonne Pan Telephone (8621) 5169 6210 e-mail: yvonne.pan@gisevents.com IFSA Annual Conference and Exhibition, September 18-20, Long Beach Convention Center, For more information Contact IFSA at (404) 2523663, e-mail ifsa@kellencompany.com Airline Passenger Experience Association 2012 Annual Expo, September 17-20, Long Beach Convention Center. For more information contact APEX at (212) 297 – 2177, info@apex.aero
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PAX INTERNATIONAL
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JULY/AUGUST 2012
Cruise Shipping Asia-Pacific Conference, September 17-18, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore. For more information www.cruiseshippingevents.com/ asia-register-now Aircraft Interiors Expo, Americas, September 25-27, Seattle. For more information, call 203 840-5680 or e-mail aircraftinteriorsus@reedexpo.com Guestlogix 4th Annual User Group Conference, October 1-3, Intercontinental Centre, Toronto. For more information, contact Guestlogix at +1 416 642 0349 or Ruth Morayniss at rmorayniss@guestlogix.com
Railway & Mass Transit Interiors Technology and Design Expo, October 24-26, Seaport World Trade Center, Boston. For more information, contact David Stradling – Event Director, david.stradling@ukipme.com China International Aircraft Interiors & Design Expo, September 26-28, Shanghai Science Hall. For more information, contact Grace Fair International Limited. Phone: +86-10-64390338 Contact: Jasper Shi: e-mail: Jasper@gracefair.com International Travel Catering Association/SIAL Middle East Trade Show and Networking Forum, November 26-28, Abu Dhabi. For more information, go to www.itcanet.com