Hong Kong Airport Reports Massive Surge in Passenger Numbers

(28/03/23)  Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 2.1 million passengers in February 2023, a year-on-year surge of approximately 24 times.

Cargo volume and flight movements saw year-on-year increases of 6.7% and 95.7% to 290,000 tonnes and 16,305, respectively.

Due to the relaxation of travel restrictions, all passenger segments, particularly Hong Kong residents, experienced significant growth compared to the same month last year. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia and Japan recorded the most significant increases.

Hong Kong International Airport T1

Global economic uncertainties, however, continued to impact cargo volume. The year-on-year increase in cargo volume during the month was mainly attributed to a low base for comparison with that of February 2022. Transshipments and exports increased by 46% and 3% year-on-year respectively. The Middle East, Mainland China and North America saw the most significant growth in terms of cargo volume.

Over the first two months of the year, the airport handled 4.2 million passengers, marking an increase of around 26 times compared to the same period in 2022. Flight movements registered year-on-year increase by about 60% to 32,520, while cargo volume dropped by 12.8% to 578,000 tonnes.

On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume increased year-on-year by around six times to 9.7 million, while flight movements were up 3.9% to 150,895. Cargo throughput saw a decline of 17.2% to 4.1 million tonnes.

Outstanding ESG Performance at HKIA

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has been included in Sustainalytics’ “2023 Top-Rated ESG Companies List” for its outstanding environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance.

Sustainalytics, an independent ESG research and ratings firm, identifies the top performers globally based on its ESG Risk Ratings - which cover more than 15,000 companies across various industries - and has recognised AAHK as one of the top 50 companies in the “Regional Top-Rated” category.

“We are honoured to receive the recognition, which underscores our tireless efforts to achieve sustainability goals,” said Julian Lee, Executive Director, Finance of the AAHK. “Apart from integrating ESG considerations at all levels of our operations, AAHK is also a pioneer of green finance. Our Sustainable Finance Framework and green bonds issuance demonstrated our commitment to developing HKIA into one of the world’s greenest airports. We will continue to work with our business partners to contribute to the sustainable development of the region.”

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