Cargo tonnage at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reached a record-high monthly total of 367,000 tonnes in May, up a substantial 41.9 per cent year-on-year, according to Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). Passenger numbers rose 14.4 per cent year-on-year to 4.11 million. The “speedy and significant recovery in cargo traffic at HKIA further lends support to HKIA’s status as the world’s busiest international air cargo centre”, said the AAHK.

Cargo throughput to/from all major HKIA markets showed double-digit growth over the same month last year. The substantial growth was in part due to the relatively low base recorded in May 2009, as well as the continued recovery of key export markets, particularly Europe and North America. Exports recorded strong growth of 61 per cent, while imports and transhipments surged 32 and 14 per cent respectively, according to AAHK.

“We are delighted with the growth in all three air traffic categories, especially the huge increase in cargo throughput,” said the Authority’s CEO, Stanley Hui. “Although the figures from last May were low by comparison, we have nevertheless seen a continuation in the rebound of cargo demand thanks to the sustained recovery of the economy. More than 10,000 tonnes of cargo were handled each day on average for three consecutive months and traffic has returned to the pre-crisis level”.

From January to May, the airport moved 1.6 million tonnes of cargo, received 20.3 million passengers and handled 120,205 aircraft movements, representing year-on-year increases of 36.6, 6.4 and 3 per cent repectively.