HONG KONG, 17 October 2022: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) reported its September air traffic figures for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) Sunday.
Passenger throughput at HKIA reached 525,000, marking a year-on-year increase of 132.7%. Cargo and flight movements reached 341,000 tonnes and 11,665, respectively, representing 25.0% and 16.3% decreases compared to the same month last year.
The growth in passenger throughput was driven mainly by increases in Hong Kong resident and visitor traffic due to the relaxation of quarantine requirements for inbound travellers. Passenger traffic to and from Southeast Asia experienced the most significant increase.
Cargo volume was affected by global economic uncertainties, ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global supply chains. Exports and imports decreased by 30% and 25%, respectively, compared to September 2021. Cargo traffic to and from key trading regions in North America and Europe registered the most significant decreases.
Following the government’s adjustments of quarantine arrangements, AAHK has been working closely with the airport community to prepare for air traffic recovery.
AAHK airport operations executive director Vivian Cheung said: “We are maintaining close communications with our business partners to ensure that we are ready to handle the expected increase in passenger flow. AAHK spared no effort to ensure health and safety at HKIA, adopting biometrics in the touchless boarding process and introducing cleaning robots. Passengers can also anticipate a new and enhanced airport experience brought by upgrades to our terminal facilities. We remain confident in the airport’s long-term development and traffic growth.”
In the first nine months of the year, HKIA handled 2.2 million passengers, up 139.5% from the same period last year. Cargo volume and flight movements were 3.1 million tonnes and 96,685, respectively, representing drops of 12.9% and 4.7% from last year.
On a 12-month rolling basis, the airport handled 2.7 million passengers and 140,065 flights, marking year-on-year growth of 123.7% and 1.8%, respectively. HKIA handled 4.6 million tonnes of cargo, representing a decrease of 6.7% compared to the same period last year.
(Source: AAHK)
