The Airport Authority Hong Kong reported its unaudited interim financial results for the six months ended 30 September 2009 with revenue and profit attributable to shareholders dropping 4.7 and 3.8 per cent respectively over the same period in 2008 to HK$4.3 billion (US$554 million) and HK$1.3 billion.

Passenger and cargo traffic at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) were negatively affected by the global economic downturn that began in the second half of 2008, and as a result dropped 6.4 and 11.5 per cent from a year earlier to 23 million passengers and 1.68 million tonnes of cargo during the period under review. Aircraft movements also declined 8.5 per cent to 138,600.

“In October, cargo volume recorded the first growth in 14 months, and November figures thus far continue to indicate a strong rebound in demand for cargo services,” said Stanley Hui Hon-chung, CEO of the Airport Authority.

Three passenger and 11 freighter airlines have joined HKIA or resumed their services since April, adding 18 passenger and 30 all-cargo flights per week. Currently, around 90 airlines are operating from HKIA, linking the airport to around 150 destinations worldwide, including some 40 cities on the Chinese mainland.