Melburnian1
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jun 7, 2013
- Posts
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May is a very good month for comparison with the same month a year ago as there are no Australian school or public holidays (such as Easter) that vary and distort the figures.
Historically for domestic and international aviation, it has been one of the three quieter months (along with February and November). Yet it can be a great month to travel to destinations such as Europe and much of Asia as the climate may be good for sightseeing and one doesn't always have to put up with hordes such as North Americans travelling during the peak northern summer.
In May 2019, total international airline seats to and from Oz declined 1.7 per cent to 4.19 million but seat occupancy overall rose from 73.5 to 78.6 per cent, a big rise as overall passenger numbers increased 6 per cent to 3.21 million journeys. One has to roughly divide this by two to obtain numbers travelling for the month in each direction.
While it won't be a surprise that overall QFi passenger trips increased by 8.3 per cent comparing May 2018 to May 2019, due to increases on routes like to Indonesia (up 142.4 per cent, reflecting Bali to SYD and MEL new flights), Philippines (up 19 per cent, reflecting increase in SYD - MNL to daily) and Japan (again, increased frequencies including KIX) and overtaking decline in QF own metal traffic to PEK (down 19.1 per cent), what was surprising was SQ's rise in passenger numbers of a very healthy 9.3 per cent.
Interestingly, VA beat both, with its numbers on international flights increasing overall by 15.8 per cent, led by HKG (up 160.3 per cent as SYD - HKG flights kicked in) and USA (up 35.2 per cent to more than 42,000 for May 2019.)
Mattg's favourite airline (I jest) in Donghai had a huge 210 per cent increase in passengers between the two Mays, but don't get too excited. In May 2018 it carried 127 passengers; in May 2019, 394. Barely a blip, but with an infrequently served route in DRW - SHZ, not unexpected that numbers are so low.
Traffic to and from mainland communist China rose 7 per cent between the two Mays. While a healthy rise, it is continuing to moderate.
Comparing year on year (not just May 2019 v May 2018), international passengers travelling between Australia and USA rose 3.7 per cent. While this is below the overall 4 per cent growth, it's short of the disaster story that some media like to portray (although it doesn't show from which end passengers originated.)
The 'top 10' countries for passengers to travel to or from saw total numbers rise only 2.7 per cent compared with 'others' where total passenger traffic rose 11 per cent.
In May 2019, SYD retained a 40.5 per cent share of all international passengers. While it is growing at less than MEL and BNE, airports such as OOL and CNS have seen a decline in international numbers.
MEL - SIN was again the busiest international passenger route with almost 124,000 passengers, beating SYD - SIN by a slender margin of 3,000. This is a gap of about 50 passengers a day in each direction so very little difference, but MEL - SIN has been rising for a number of years.
As CA passenger numbers in May 2019 dropped 30.2 per cent compared with May 2018 due to route abandonment, MU rose 42 per cent but CZ aq more modest (though still impressive) 6.6 per cent. CX numbers increased 20.2 per cent but on the HKG routes, QF's declined 4.2 per cent, or roughly 2,000 on a c.50,000 base. That tells us nothing about yields that must have plummeted given the VA rise in routes for HKG referred to above.
Historically for domestic and international aviation, it has been one of the three quieter months (along with February and November). Yet it can be a great month to travel to destinations such as Europe and much of Asia as the climate may be good for sightseeing and one doesn't always have to put up with hordes such as North Americans travelling during the peak northern summer.
In May 2019, total international airline seats to and from Oz declined 1.7 per cent to 4.19 million but seat occupancy overall rose from 73.5 to 78.6 per cent, a big rise as overall passenger numbers increased 6 per cent to 3.21 million journeys. One has to roughly divide this by two to obtain numbers travelling for the month in each direction.
While it won't be a surprise that overall QFi passenger trips increased by 8.3 per cent comparing May 2018 to May 2019, due to increases on routes like to Indonesia (up 142.4 per cent, reflecting Bali to SYD and MEL new flights), Philippines (up 19 per cent, reflecting increase in SYD - MNL to daily) and Japan (again, increased frequencies including KIX) and overtaking decline in QF own metal traffic to PEK (down 19.1 per cent), what was surprising was SQ's rise in passenger numbers of a very healthy 9.3 per cent.
Interestingly, VA beat both, with its numbers on international flights increasing overall by 15.8 per cent, led by HKG (up 160.3 per cent as SYD - HKG flights kicked in) and USA (up 35.2 per cent to more than 42,000 for May 2019.)
Mattg's favourite airline (I jest) in Donghai had a huge 210 per cent increase in passengers between the two Mays, but don't get too excited. In May 2018 it carried 127 passengers; in May 2019, 394. Barely a blip, but with an infrequently served route in DRW - SHZ, not unexpected that numbers are so low.
Traffic to and from mainland communist China rose 7 per cent between the two Mays. While a healthy rise, it is continuing to moderate.
Comparing year on year (not just May 2019 v May 2018), international passengers travelling between Australia and USA rose 3.7 per cent. While this is below the overall 4 per cent growth, it's short of the disaster story that some media like to portray (although it doesn't show from which end passengers originated.)
The 'top 10' countries for passengers to travel to or from saw total numbers rise only 2.7 per cent compared with 'others' where total passenger traffic rose 11 per cent.
In May 2019, SYD retained a 40.5 per cent share of all international passengers. While it is growing at less than MEL and BNE, airports such as OOL and CNS have seen a decline in international numbers.
MEL - SIN was again the busiest international passenger route with almost 124,000 passengers, beating SYD - SIN by a slender margin of 3,000. This is a gap of about 50 passengers a day in each direction so very little difference, but MEL - SIN has been rising for a number of years.
As CA passenger numbers in May 2019 dropped 30.2 per cent compared with May 2018 due to route abandonment, MU rose 42 per cent but CZ aq more modest (though still impressive) 6.6 per cent. CX numbers increased 20.2 per cent but on the HKG routes, QF's declined 4.2 per cent, or roughly 2,000 on a c.50,000 base. That tells us nothing about yields that must have plummeted given the VA rise in routes for HKG referred to above.
