Passengers, cargo flock to Hong Kong airport

HONG Kong International Airport served 3.82 million passengers in September, up 8.3 percent from the same month last year, airport officials reported yesterday.

Cargo volume last month reached 342,000 tons, a 6.5 percent increase from 2006, and landings and takeoffs grew 6.1 percent to 24,720.

"Cargo demand has been strong since April. The long-haul freight markets to the US and Europe have been particularly robust, with the latter benefiting from the appreciation of the euro," said Stanley Hui, chief executive officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong.

"We expect passenger volumes from Europe, the Chinese mainland, Southeast Asia, Australia, New Zealand and Korea to remain positive for the foreseeable future," he said.

For the six months ended September 30, passenger volume grew 7.1 percent to 24.3 million and cargo volume increased 5.8 percent to 1.88 million tons. Landings and takeoffs rose six percent to 149,030.

For the 12 months ended September 30, the Hong Kong airport served 46.7 million passengers, up 7.4 percent; handled 3.68 million tons of cargo, up four percent; and recorded 291,335 landings and takeoffs, a 4.8 percent increase.