Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) today released the traffic figures for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for January 2021. The airport handled 71,000 passengers and 11,365 flight movements in January, experiencing year-on-year decreases of 98.8% and 65.8%, respectively. During the month, cargo throughput saw year-on-year growth of 14.1% to 409,000 tonnes, while freighter movements surged 37.2% to 6,055 from 4,413 compared with the same month last year.
In January 2021, cargo imports and exports at HKIA experienced significant growth of 37% and 24%, respectively. The year-on-year growth recorded in cargo throughput was mainly due to a low base for comparison, as last year’s Chinese New Year period was in January, and most factories in Mainland China were closed. Transshipments experienced a double-digit decline due to a shortage of belly capacity on passenger flights. Overall, cargo throughput to and from North America saw the most significant increase during the month.
Passenger traffic remained weak last month as the COVID-19 pandemic continued. During the month, passenger traffic for Hong Kong residents, visitors and transfer/transit passengers all decreased significantly compared to the same month last year.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume and flight movements fell by 95.5% and 66.7% to 3.19 million and 138,795, respectively, while cargo throughput recorded 4.5 million tonnes, a decrease of 5.1% year-on-year.
HKIA was named “Asia Pacific Airport of the Year” at the 7th Payload Asia Awards organised by Payload Asia. HKIA was recognised by an international panel of cargo expert judges for its standout performance in terms of amenities, passenger- and cargo-focused planning, and seamless movement within the airport among other aspects.
Cissy Chan, Executive Director, Commercial of the AA, said, “We are honoured by the industry’s recognition of HKIA. This accolade serves as a testament to the professionalism of our airport cargo community in maintaining efficient and reliable cargo operations despite the unprecedented challenges brought by the pandemic. HKIA stands ready to provide a seamless cold chain solution for delivering vaccines and pharmaceuticals efficiently, professionally and to the highest international standards.”
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