Hong Kong Airport Reports 254.1% Surge in Passenger Numbers; Cargo Down 9%

(18 July 2022, 10:45 +07)  Hong Kong International Airport handled 295,000 passengers in June 2022, a surge of 254.1% on June 2021 despite passenger volume remaining significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

Cargo throughput recorded a 9% drop year-on-year to 363,000 tonnes, while flight movements increased by 1.2% to 11,175, when compared to the same month last year.

Cathay Pacific B747F taking off from Hong Kong International Airport. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Following Hong Kong's relaxation of inbound travel and transfer/transit requirements, all passenger segments – including Hong Kong residents, visitors and transfer/transit passengers – experienced significant year-on-year growth in June compared to the same month last year. Passenger traffic to and from Southeast Asia saw the largest increase.

Disruptions to global supply chains caused by the pandemic and continuing geopolitical tensions in Europe led to the overall decline in cargo volume. Exports registered a year-on-year decrease of 10%. Cargo traffic to and from key trading regions in Europe and North America saw the most significant drops.

Over the first six months of the year, HKIA handled 842,000 passengers, an increase of 121.7% compared to the same period last year. The airport handled 2.1 million tonnes of cargo and 62,155 flight movements, representing decreases of 8.2% and 1.1%, respectively.

On a 12-month rolling basis, the airport handled 1.81 million passengers, a growth of 99.1% year-on-year. The airport handled 4.8 million tonnes of cargo and 144,150 flight movements, representing increases of 2.6% and 11.5%, respectively.

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