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Posted: Friday, November 25th, 2005 2:23 PM HST

Asia-Pacific airlines report lower growth in passenger numbers

By Associated Press

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) _ According to an industry group, air travel growth in the Asia-Pacific region declined three-point-six percent in October from a year ago. That's as high oil prices and a slowing global economy choked demand. The Kuala Lumpur-based Association of Asia Pacific Airlines says its 17 member airlines flew nearly eleven (m) million passengers in October, compared to about ten and a half (m) million last year. Association director-general Andrew Herdman says the burden of high oil prices is clearly having an impact, both with higher fuel bills, and in the form of slower global economic growth. For the first ten months of the year, the number of passengers carried by the 17 airlines reached 106-point-five (m) million, up from 100-point-five (m) million in the same period a year ago. The A-A-P-A represents Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, China Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International and Vietnam Airlines. (Copyright 2005 by the Associated Press. All rights reserved.)