Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) ended 2014 with its strongest quarter of the year, handling 491,476 tonnes (up 4.9 per cent on the same period of 2013).

The last quarter was also the best of the year for exports, which totalled 287,456 tonnes (up 4.2 per cent on 2013), for imports, which totalled 131,202 tonnes (up 7.7 per cent) and for mail and express, which totalled 41,558 tonnes (down 2.2 per cent). Transshipments totalled 31,261 tonnes (up 11.1 per cent, but only the third highest quarter of 2014).

For the year as a whole, Hactl’s total tonnage handled was up 8.7 per cent at 1,814,726 tonnes. Exports increased by 6.7 per cent to 1,035,899 tonnes, imports were up 10.3 per cent to 498,338 tonnes, transshipments were up 28.6 per cent at 130,834 tonnes, and mail/express traffic grew 3.1 per cent to 149,655 tonnes.

Says Hactl chief executive Mark Whitehead: “This is a very pleasing result, with good increases in all areas of our business. Transshipments once again showed exceptional growth, fuelled both by increased road feeder activity by our subsidiary Hacis, and the continuing underlying development of Hong Kong as Asia’s preferred regional hub.”

“The ongoing strong growth of our business, based on our 100 airline customers, clearly demonstrates the need for Hong Kong’s third runway. For Hong Kong to continue such impressive development and maintain its position as the world’s number one cargo hub, we must have the additional capacity necessary for airlines to realise their full potential.”