Hong Kong International Airport saw freighter movements jump 21.0% year-on-year in July as exports and imports climbed 7% and 4%, respectively, data from the Airport Authority Hong Kong showed.

Hong Kong‘s total cargo volume in July slid 7.3 percent to 372,000 tonnes compared to the same month last year, but was relatively steady in comparison with the drop in passenger throughput, which plunged 98.6% and 73.2% year-on-year to 96,000 passengers and 9,870 flight movements, respectively. 

Over the first seven months of the year, HKIA handled 2.4 million tonnes of cargo, reflecting a 9.7% drop in cargo volume against the January to July period in 2019. 

On a 12-month rolling basis, cargo volume fell 7.7% to 4.5 million tonnes. 

The Hong Kong Airport Authority said that cargo volume to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and Europe experienced the most significant declines, as trans-shipments remained low due to shortage of belly capacity on passenger flights.