Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded robust development in cargo with tonnage growth of 8.3 percent in July.
Cargo throughput reached 370,000 tonnes in July. Air traffic movements achieved a new monthly record, with 33,285 movements in July, representing a 3.5 percent increase.
The growth in cargo throughput was driven mainly by transshipments, which were up 23 percent from a year ago. During the month, cargo throughput to and from Mainland China and North America improved most significantly compared to other key regions.
“We are pleased to have achieved a new monthly record in air traffic movements in July. Increases in passenger traffic, cargo throughput and air traffic movements have clearly demonstrated steady growth momentum in air traffic at HKIA,” C K Ng, acting CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said. “At the end of July, HKIA welcomed the first Airbus A350 XWB arriving from Toulouse, France, as Hong Kong was one of the 14 cities chosen for the new aircraft’s route-proving exercise. This new mid-sized wide-bodied aircraft offers superior energy efficiency and low emissions, and we applaud the industry’s efforts towards minimizing environmental impact.”
For the first seven months of 2014, HKIA handled 2.5 million tonnes of cargo and 224,370 flight movements, representing year-over-year increases of 6.6 percent and 5.4 percent, respectively.
On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA’s cargo volume rose 5.1 percent to 4.28 million tonnes. Air traffic movements increased 5.8 percent to 383,620.