HKIA Sees Steady Growth in Passenger Volume and Flight Movements in February

(HONG KONG, 13 March 2016)  –  Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded steady growth in passenger volume and flight movements in February of 2016. During the month, passenger traffic rose 4.9% year on year to 5.7 million, while flight movements increased by 4.5% to 32,625. Cargo throughput dropped 14.9% to 258,000 tonnes, compared to the same month last year.

The growth in passenger traffic in February was mainly driven by Hong Kong resident travel, which registered a 16% year-on-year growth over the same month last year. Passenger traffic to / from Southeast Asia and Japan increased most significantly.

The decline in cargo throughput for February was mainly attributed to a 23% year-on-year drop in exports. Imports and transshipments decreased by 9% and 6%, respectively, compared to the same month last year. Cargo throughput to/from key trading region in North America registered the most significant drop. The decrease of cargo volume in February this year is partly due to the industrial action at ports on the west coast of the United States in the first quarter of 2015, which resulted in a strong figure in air cargo during the same month last year.

C K Ng, Executive Director of Airport Operations of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said, “To enhance the travel experience for HKIA’s passengers, we strive to provide customer-centric services by leveraging the latest technology, including the introduction of the ‘HKG My Flight’ mobile application in 2013 that provides airport information, real-time flight status and more. We are delighted that ‘HKG My Flight’ recently won the Gold Award in the Best Location-based Marketing Category at the Mob-Ex Awards 2016 organised by Marketing magazine – recognising our effort, innovation and excellence in mobile marketing.”

"With the application of iBeacon technology, passengers using the ‘HKG My Flight App’ can receive push notifications of airport information including dining and shopping offers and promotions at the airport. While arrays of initiatives are in the pipeline, we will continue exploring the application of different technologies in daily operations, aiming to enhance mobility, automation, efficiency and convenience for passengers," added Mr Ng.

In the first two months of 2016, HKIA handled 11.6 million passengers and 67,820 flight movements, up 9.0% and 5.0% from the previous year respectively. Cargo traffic dropped 6% year-on-year to 619,000 tonnes.

On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA has handled 69.5 million passengers and 409,255 flight movements, marking year-on-year increases of 8.4% and 3.8%, respectively, while cargo throughput decreased by 2.2% to 4.34 million tonnes.