HONG KONG, 27 June 2024: Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) Tuesday released air traffic statistics for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for May 2024, confirming the airport handled 4.07 million passengers and 29,855 flight movements, marking year-on-year increases of 30.8% and 34.5%, respectively.
Mainland China’s Labour Day “Golden Week” holidays, starting at the end of April, contributed significantly to traffic growth among all passenger segments in May. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China, and Japan recorded the most notable monthly boosts.
Cargo throughput increased 19.0% year-on-year to 416,000 tonnes in May. HKIA has continued to record double-digit year-on-year growth in cargo volume each month this year. Export traffic remains the main driver of the growth, recording a 30.1% increase compared with the same month last year. Among crucial trading regions, cargo traffic to and from North America, Europe, and the Middle East increased significantly during the month.
For the first five months of this year, the airport handled 21 million passengers or 58.9% higher than the low base during the same period in 2023. Flight movements also increased 50.5% year-on-year to 145,140, while cargo volume rose by 18.0% year-on-year to more than 1.9 million tonnes.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume was 47.3 million, marking an increase of 157.9% compared with the previous comparable period. Flight movements increased by 76.3% year on year to 324,805, as cargo throughput also grew 13.1% year-on-year to 4.6 million tonnes.
In terms of route development, HK Express Airways inaugurated a new direct flight service linking HKIA and Sanya Phoenix International Airport, Hainan, on 10 May. With four pairs of flights each week, the new route provides more choices for travellers visiting Hainan.
Meanwhile, HKIA’s “Marine Ecology and Fisheries Enhancement Strategy” project won the highest Platinum Award in the ACI Green Airports Recognition 2024, in the biggest airport capacity category of over 35 million passengers annually. Organised by the ACI Asia-Pacific & Middle East, the award recognises airports with outstanding achievements in biodiversity and nature-based solutions.
AAHK General Manager of Sustainability Peter Lee said: “We are honoured to receive this award, which commends our voluntary and continuous efforts to explore and enhance local marine biodiversity and fisheries resources around HKIA and North Lantau waters. The efforts, namely eco-enhancement of seawall designs, deployment of artificial reefs and shellfish reefs, and fish restocking, were first investigated by experts, with pilot tests to determine the viability and real-world value of promising enhancements. With positive biodiversity impacts identified, we are scaling up these initiatives around HKIA, and importantly, these nature-based efforts will serve as a useful reference for future implementation by others across broader Hong Kong waters.”
(SOURCE: AAHK)
