China Eastern Airlines and two other carriers reported they carried fewer cargo in February as a number of factories on the Chinese mainland were closed for the Chinese New Year holiday.
Shanghai-based China Eastern, the country's second-largest carrier, flew 77,830 tons of cargo last month, a drop of 17.5 percent from a year earlier.
Air China, the flagship international carrier, flew 12.1 percent less cargo on an annual basis at 64,507 tons.
Cathay Pacific Airways and its affiliate, Dragonair, Tuesday said its cargo volume dropped 2.3 percent to 116,998 tons in February.
"Demand out of the Chinese markets was generally quite weak during and immediately after the Chinese New Year holiday in early February, with a number of factories on the mainland staying closed for a longer period than usual," said James Woodrow, Cathay Pacific's general manager for Cargo Sales & Marketing.
"We saw some pickup later in the month though there was no significant month-end rush," he said.
"We managed our capacity in line with demand, canceling a number of freighter services on long-haul routes."
