AAPA kicks off annual meeting with optimism for 2025 growth

The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) is positive on the outlook for 2025 as it assembles for its annual meeting. “As far as the key metrics that airlines keep in mind, we are already back to business as usual,” says Subhas Menon, director general of the AAPA. “Load factors are higher than pre-Covid levels and even though yields are coming down quite fast, they are also higher than pre-Covid.” Menon feels that international RPKs will grow 10% in 2025. He made the remarks in Bandar Seri Begawan, where the AAPA is holding its 68th Assembly of Presidents. The event is an annual fixture for the region’s airline leaders. Despite the growth, airlines continue to grapple with supply chain issues that impact aircraft availability. While lessors can help fill capacity, leased aircraft are equally prone to supply chain challenges. Late deliveries of aircraft are also a problem. This is a particular issue for airlines in fast growing countries like India. While carriers in India boast significant orderbooks, it is a challenge for them to boost capacity in the absence of timely deliveries. As for specific markets, Menon says that inbound traffic into China has largely recovered, mainly due to Beijing’s easing of visa requirements.<br/>