Cargo throughput in September at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) dropped 4.3 per cent year-onyear to 304,000 tonnes, while passenger throughput reached 3.5 million passenger trips in September 2009, 3.5 per cent below the same period in 2008. Air traffic movements recorded a decline of 8 per cent to 22,570. Declines in air traffic volumes have continued to narrow over the last three months, HKIA said.

Noting that cargo volume has improved significantly from a drop of 22.9 per cent in Q1 to a decline of 5.9 per cent in Q3, Stanley Hui Hon-chung, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong, pointed out that the mild year-on-year reductions of 3.5 and 4.3 per cent in passenger and cargo traffic indicated that contractions continue to narrow.

“Meanwhile, one passenger and six freighter airlines have resumed or started operating at HKIA since July, reflecting well on their confidence in Hong Kong as well as the aviation industry. We will continue to enhance HKIA’s service quality and facilities and work side by side with airlines in strengthening Hong Kong as a leading international and regional aviation centre,” Hui added.