Cargo volume at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) grew by 6.1 percent to 367,000 tonnes in October 2013 year-over-year.
A 10 percent year-on-year increase in exports contributed to the growth in tonnage, with throughput to and from Southeast Asia and mainland China surpassing growth to other key regions.
“We are pleased to see HKIA’s overall traffic growth amid the uncertain, yet improving, global economy,” said Stanley Hui Hon-chung, chief executive officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong.
“Looking ahead, we expect this upward momentum to continue as we approach the end of the year,” he added. “Cargo throughput is expected to outperform the global average for the year, reinforcing HKIA’s position as the world’s busiest cargo hub.”
Over the first 10 months of this year, HKIA handled 3.4 million tonnes of cargo, representing growth of 2.2 percent, compared to the same period last year. On a rolling 12-month basis, cargo volume rose 3.3 percent to 4.1 million tonnes.
On the other hand, Garuda Indonesia reportedly intends to double its fleet to 350 to 400 by 2025 by adding 200 to 250 aircraft.
The move is said to be part of a strategic plan to meet an expected boom in demand from a growing middle class in Indonesia, one of the world’s most rapidly developing economies.
The Indonesian flag carrier plans to gain board approval next year to order the new airplanes, which are said to be single-aisle aircraft for routes of up to five hours, and larger wide-body aircraft for medium- and long-haul services.
Photo: adrielhampton
