Cathay Pacific today released traffic figures for February 2007 that show the airline, together with its wholly owned subsidiary Dragonair, carrying more passengers but less freight than in the same month last year.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair together carried a total of 1,716,506 passengers in February 2007 - up 3.1 per cent on the combined figure for the same month last year. However, the year-on-year comparison is again distorted by the Chinese New Year peak period falling in different months - January in 2006 and February in 2007. The load factor for the two carriers fell by 0.5 percentage points to 75.5 per cent, while capacity, measured in available seat kilometres, grew by 3 per cent.

Year-to-date figures show the two airlines carried marginally fewer passengers in the first two months of 2007 compared to last year - down by 0.3 per cent. At the same time capacity was up by 2.3 per cent.

The cargo tonnage carried by Cathay Pacific and Dragonair fell 1.2 per cent - to 110,006 tonnes - compared to February 2006. The cargo load factor also fell, by 4.8 percentage points to 63.7 per cent, though capacity, measured in available cargo and mail tonne kilometres, was up by 10.2 per cent year on year.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said: "Business was generally good over the Chinese New Year holiday in February and the number of passengers carried was comparable to last year's peak. Bookings remain healthy through to the next traffic surge at Easter."

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: "The cargo market in Hong Kong has got off to a slow start so far this year, and the usual pre-Chinese New Year rush did not materialise. There is a lot of new capacity in the market and Hong Kong is facing increased competition from Pearl River Delta region airports and within the region as a whole. Due to continued high jet fuel prices we have also been seeing more shippers move from airfreight to marine cargo transportation."

Note:(i)   Comparative figures excluding Dragonair 2006 traffic / capacity
        (ii)   Comparative figures including Dragonair 2006 traffic / capacity