SINGAPORE, June 28, 2006 (AFP) - Asia-Pacific airlines flew 10.5 million passengers in May, up four percent from a year earlier, the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) said Wednesday.

For the five months to May, passenger traffic increased five percent to more than 53 million passengers, the Kuala Lumpur-based industry group said in a statement.

Cargo traffic last month rose 3.4 percent to 4.28 million tonnes (4.71 tons) and in the first five months of the year, it was 5.2 percent higher at 21.39 million tonnes, AAPA said.

AAPA is a trade association of 17 international airlines based in the region including Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

The other members are China Airlines, Dragonair, EVA Air, Garuda Indonesia, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Philippine Airlines, Qantas Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Thai Airways and Vietnam Airlines.