Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled
2.8 million passengers in March 2023, more than 28 times the
amount recorded in March 2022.
The airport also handled 372,000 tonnes of cargo
during the month, a year-on-year growth of 5.8%. Flight movements
more than doubled year-on-year to 20,130.
Average daily passenger traffic continued to show
a sustained increase over the first three weeks of April, with the
airport
handling approximately 100,000 per day, reaching 50% of
pre-pandemic levels.
All
passenger segments experienced significant growth in March when compared to the
same month last year, including a strong performance by Hong Kong
residents. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China and
Japan saw the largest increases.
Cargo remained impacted by
global economic uncertainties. Although cargo volume grew year-on-year in March 2023, this was primarily due to the low base for
comparison set during the same month last year following
pandemic-related supply chain disruptions. Exports grew by 19%
year-on-year.
Cargo traffic to and from key trading regions in North
America, the Middle East and Europe saw the most significant
increases during the month.
Over the first three months of
the year, HKIA handled 7 million passengers, nearly 27 times
more than the same period in 2022. Flight movements registered a
year-on-year increase of 74.2% to 52,650, while cargo volume decreased
by 6.3% to 950,000 tonnes.
On a 12-month rolling basis,
passenger volume rose to 12.4 million, representing a 7.7-fold
increase over the previous comparable period. Flight movements saw
an 11.5% increase to 161,160, while cargo throughput decreased by
16% to 4.1 million tonnes.
HKIA was recently
awarded Level 4 “Transformation” in Airports Council
International’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) programme,
which recognises the airport’s commitment to reducing its
carbon footprint as well as its achievements in carbon management.
Launched in 2009, ACA is the only institutionally endorsed, global
carbon management certification standard for airports. It was
established to help the airport industry benefit from shared
expertise, achieve lower energy consumption and reduce carbon
emissions.
“We are honoured to receive ACA Level 4 accreditation,
which underscores our tireless efforts in carbon management,” said
Peter Lee, General Manager – Sustainability, Airport Authority
Hong Kong (AAHK). “Our
pledge is to achieve Net Zero Carbon by 2050, with a midpoint
target of 55% in absolute emissions reduction by 2035 from a 2018
baseline. To achieve this, we will continue working closely with
our key aviation partners and third parties. We have full
confidence in our ability to develop HKIA into one of the world’s
greenest airports and contribute to the sustainable development of
the region.”
