Cathay Pacific Airways today released its traffic figures for December 2010, which show a decline in passenger numbers compared to the same period in the previous year. The airline carried a total of 2.39 million passengers in December, a decrease of 2.5% compared to December 2009.

The passenger load factor also decreased, falling by 2.3 percentage points to 80.3%. Cathay Pacific attributed the decline in passenger numbers to weaker-than-expected travel demand during the holiday season.

The airline’s cargo and mail volumes also experienced a decrease in December. Cathay Pacific carried 151,226 tonnes of cargo and mail, a decrease of 9.8% compared to December 2009. The cargo load factor decreased by 5.4 percentage points to 64.9%.

In a statement, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Revenue Management, Tom Owen, said that the airline was disappointed with the December traffic figures. He noted that the weak travel demand was particularly evident on long-haul routes.

“We saw a softening in demand across our network in December, particularly on long-haul routes,” said Mr. Owen. “The cargo market also remained weak, with volumes down significantly compared to last year.”

Despite the disappointing December figures, Cathay Pacific remains optimistic about its prospects for 2011. The airline expects travel demand to recover in the coming months, and it is also taking steps to improve its cargo business.

“We are confident that travel demand will pick up in the new year,” said Mr. Owen. “We are also working hard to improve our cargo business, and we expect to see a gradual recovery in volumes over the course of 2011.”