Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded significant growth in cargo volume in March 2017, propelled by higher export orders.
During the month, cargo traffic and flight movements recorded year-on-year increases of 17.8% to 433,000 tonnes and 0.5% to 35,250, respectively. Passenger volume dropped 2% to 5.9 million compared to the same month last year.
The strong growth in cargo throughput was largely driven by exports, which recorded a robust 24% year-on-year increase. Imports and transshipments also experienced double-digit growth. Among the key trading regions, Europe and North America showed the most significant increases.
Hong Kong resident travel, the main factor behind the drop in passenger volume, registered a year-on-year decline of 11% as a result of the Easter holiday falling in March last year. Passenger traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China, and Taiwan recorded the most significant drops. The number of visitors, however, showed year-on-year growth of 6%.
During the first three months of 2017, cargo volume at HKIA registered 11.5% year-on-year growth to 1.1 million tonnes. Passenger throughput and flight movements declined by 0.1% to 17.6 million and 1.1% to 101,800, respectively.
On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA has handled 70.5 million passengers, 4.6 million tonnes of cargo, and 410,440 flight movements, representing year-on-year increases of 1.1%, 6.7% and 0.1%, respectively.
Photo: Eugene-o
