HONG KONG, 26 March 2024: Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 4.2 million passengers and 27,615 flight movements during February, according to the latest Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) data.
It represents an increase of 96.5% (passenger traffic) and 69.3% (flight movements) compared with the low base in the same month last year.
Such significant growth was partly due to the Chinese New Year holidays, which drove higher traffic among all passenger segments. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and Taiwan recorded the most significant increases.
During the Chinese New Year holiday period from 7 to 18 February, the airport handled an average of more than 150,000 passengers and over 960 flight movements daily. Traffic peaked on 18 February, with 160,600 passengers using HKIA. The 1,029 aircraft movements on 7 February represented another peak during the holiday period.
Cargo volume increased by 11.7% year-on-year to 324,000 tonnes in February 2024. Exports contributed most to this growth, rising by 30% compared to the same month last year. Among key trading regions, traffic to and from North America, Europe, and the Middle East significantly increased.
Over the first two months of the year, the airport handled 8.4 million passengers, marking an increase of 98.2% compared to the same period in 2023. Flight movements registered a year-on-year increase of 73.3% to 56,370, while cargo throughput rose by 21.3% to 701,000 tonnes.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume was 44 million, or 349.2% higher than the previous comparable period. Flight movements and cargo throughput saw year-on-year increases of 98.7% and 8.2% to 299,925 and 4.5 million tonnes, respectively.
Meanwhile, HK Express inaugurated a new flight route connecting HKIA and Beijing Daxing International Airport in March.
AAHK Chief Operating Officer Vivian Cheung said: “We are delighted to see our home-based carrier launch a new flight route between Hong Kong and Beijing Daxing. Hong Kong and Beijing have close economic and cultural relationships. This new route will further strengthen the connections between the two cities and consolidate our role as a gateway linking Mainland China and the world.”
(Source: AAHK)
