Easter holiday, Sevens traffic help offset growing competition, rising fuel costs
Cathay Pacific Airways says it flew 21.8 per cent more passengers in March than it did during the same month a year earlier, largely on an upturn in leisure travel during the Easter holidays.
Hong Kong's largest carrier said the influx of tourists to the city for last month's Rugby World Cup Sevens tournament also helped its passenger numbers, which grew to 1.26 million last month.
During the first three months, Cathay said it carried more than 15.5 million passengers, a 17.1 per cent increase over the same period last year.
'A good Easter and the Rugby Sevens contributed to strong continued passenger growth,' said Cathay general manager of revenue management, sales and distribution Ian Shiu.
The carrier said it carried 96,860 tonnes of cargo last month, an 8.1 per cent increase over the same period last year.
Mr Shiu said Cathay faced increasing competition on many of its routes, a situation exacerbated by rising fuel prices.
