Hong Kong's leading air carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, yesterday said it posted last week its best weekly passenger load factor for 2009. But the airline remained uncertain whether the improvement indicated a structural recovery.

"We had the best week so far this year," Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler said.

"But what we are seeing here is the seasonal strength in the market. We managed to fill more flights but at a much reduced yield," he said, referring to improved traffic due to the start of China's week-long National Day holiday on Oct 1.