Cathay Pacific's passenger traffic up by 82.2pc YoY

Hong Kong : Cathay Pacific has released its traffic figures for April 2022, revealing an 82.2 per cent increase from 2021 in light of Hong Kong easing its travel restrictions. 
However, the airline is still operating at just a fraction of its pre-pandemic capacity.
Cathay Pacific carried a total of 40,823 passengers in April, an increase of 82.2 per cent year on year. The carrier has now served 127,403 passengers over 2022, an increase of 37.8 per cent on the same period in 2021. Passenger load factor was up by 31.5 per cent in April to reach 55.6 per cent.
Ronald Lam, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Cathay Pacific, said, "April saw some positive developments for our travel business with improved demand across our network. Following the lifting of the ban on inbound flights from nine countries on April 1, in addition to the adjustment of the quarantine period from 14 to seven days for travellers arriving in Hong Kong, we saw increased demand among residents wishing to return home to the city, in particular from the UK."
The airline's cargo division also performed better, carrying 26.3 per cent more cargo than 2021 at 92,361 tonnes. However, April's cargo revenue tonne kilometers (RFTKs) decreased 13.2 per cent year on year.
Cathay's cargo network will become more active in the coming months. The airline plans to return to long-haul freighter destinations in Europe and the Americas and services to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Cambodia.
The carrier will also continue its cargo push with new priority options.
Despite recording significant improvements from 2021, Cathay Pacific is still far from reaching its pre-pandemic capacity. In April, the airline's passenger traffic was down 98.7 per cent compared to April 2019. The carrier's available seat kilometers (ASKs) also decreased by 30.2 per cent year-on-year and were down by 97.7 per cent compared to 2019.