Passenger Traffic at HKIA Continues to Grow in June and the First Half of 2026

HKIA named “Airport of the Year – Major Cargo Hub” for the second consecutive year                                       

(Hong Kong, 20 July 2026, 1500hrs) – Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today released air traffic statistics of Hong Kong International Airport’s (HKIA) for June 2026 and first half of the year.

HKIA handled 5.12 million passengers and 31,940 flight movements in June, up 7.9% and 2.3% year on year, respectively. Passenger growth during the month was supported by a double-digit increase in transfer / transit passengers. Most regional markets recorded growth in June, led by Japan and the Chinese Mainland, along with a narrowing decline in the Middle East.

In June, cargo throughput again showed solid growth, increasing by 6.8% year on year to 436,000 tonnes. The growth was driven mainly by transshipment, which rose 19.5%, while exports and imports increased 3.2% and 5.5%, respectively. By region, the Middle East recorded the strongest growth, returning to expansion in the fourth month of the conflict. This was complemented by continued growth in Southeast Asia and the Chinese Mainland.

In the first half of 2026, passenger traffic rose 11.7% year on year to 32.8 million, while flight movements increased 4.4% to 200,685. Cargo throughput also remained resilient, rising 4.1% to 2.5 million tonnes in the first half of 2026.

On a 12-month rolling basis, HKIA handled a total of 64.4 million passengers and 403,120 flight movements, representing year-on-year growth of 12.7% and 5.9%, respectively. Cargo volume grew by 3.7% year on year to 5.17 million tonnes.

Meanwhile, HKIA’s global leadership in air cargo was again recognised by the industry. At the World Air Cargo Awards 2026 organised in June by Air Cargo Week, a leading publication for logistics professionals, HKIA received the “Airport of the Year – Major Cargo Hub” award for the second consecutive year, and the “Air Cargo Innovation Award” in recognition of the Hong Kong Air Import SmartCollect initiative. The awards recognise innovation, service excellence, sustainability and leadership in the airfreight industry.

During the same month, at the Asian Freight, Logistics and Supply Chain Awards (AFLAS) 2026 organised by Asia Cargo News, a renowned logistics and cargo supply chain publication, HKIA was named “Best Global Airport” for the 11th consecutive year and “Best Airport – Asia (Over 1m tonnes)” for the second consecutive year. The AFLAS Awards recognises leading service providers for excellence in transportation, logistics and supply chain management. Winners were nominated and voted on by readers and industry professionals.

Chapman Fong, Director, Hub Development of AAHK, said: “The continued growth in cargo throughput in the first half of 2026 epitomised HKIA's resilience empowered by our strong connectivity and excellent cargo services. The two latest awards received by HKIA are strong recognition of the collective efforts of the airport community and reinforce our reputation as a global leader in air cargo. We will continue to advance innovation and digitalisation across the cargo supply chain to further streamline cargo handling and enhance our competitiveness.”

In addition, the Hong Kong airport cargo community has taken a pioneering step in aviation sustainability by becoming the first airport cargo ecosystem to establish the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) framework. This milestone reflects a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and collaborative action among key stakeholders in the air cargo sector. The initiative aims to strengthen environmental performance, foster transparency, and promote continuous improvement across the aviation value chain.