HK airport sets monthly record for cargo in November

Cargo volume at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) rose 5.5 percent year on year to 421, 000 tonnes in November, a new monthly record for cargo tonnage throughput, the Airport Authority said on Sunday.

The growth in cargo last month was driven by transshipments and exports, which were up 11 percent and 5 percent respectively from a year ago. During the month, cargo throughput to/from North America and Southeast Asia increased most significantly compared to other key regions.

Continued growth was also seen in other traffic categories during the month, in which the airport handled 5.1 million passengers and 32,920 flight movements, registering growth of 5.4 percent and 4.0 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.

The growth in passenger traffic in November was mainly driven by a 12-percent growth in transfer/transit traffic. Passenger traffic to/from North Asia and Mainland China recorded the most significant increases.

"This is the first time HKIA has handled over 400,000 tonnes of cargo in a single month. This achievement further solidifies HKIA' s position as the world's busiest cargo airport," said Julia Yan, general manager of Strategic Planning & Development of Airport Authority.

"Boosted by the seasonal surge in both cargo shipments and passenger traffic demand, we expect across-the-board growth in traffic volume to continue as we approach the end of the year, setting new annual records for all three traffic categories."

In the first 11 months of the year, HKIA handled 57.7 million passenger trips, 4.0 million tonnes of cargo and 356,700 flight movements, representing growths of 5.6 percent, 6.3 percent and 5. 1 percent, respectively, over the same period last year.