Asia Pacific airlines carried 33.5 million international passengers in October, up 10.2 per cent year on year, supported by tourism and business travel, reported Singapore's Payload Asia.

Revenue passenger kilometres rose 10.7 per cent, with seat capacity up 9.3 per cent, lifting the average load factor to 82.4 per cent.

Cargo demand also grew, with freight tonne kilometres rising 2.2 per cent. Supply chain shifts and strong e-commerce volumes supported demand, while freight capacity expanded 5.6 per cent, mainly from belly-hold space. The average freight load factor fell 2 points to 59.7 per cent.

AAPA director general Subhas Menon said Asia Pacific airlines entered the final quarter on stable ground, with export activity resilient despite tariff pressures. For the year to October, international passengers rose 10.4 per cent to 322 million, while cargo demand increased 5.4 per cent, aided by inventory restocking ahead of online sales events.

Mr Menon added that broad-based global growth should support continued expansion in passenger and cargo markets, though geopolitical and trade risks remain. He said carriers are focused on efficiency gains to strengthen financial performance while maintaining safety and customer service standards.