Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has once
again been named as the world’s busiest cargo airport.
HKIA handled 4.2 million tonnes of cargo in 2022, according
to the latest data released by Airports Council International
(ACI), retaining the top position in 2022 despite
ongoing geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade and
supply chains that caused a decrease in overall air cargo volume
globally.
The airport is one of the few in the world where
its cargo terminal operators and ramp handling operators have
attained
the International Air Transport Association (IATA) CEIV standards
for transport of cargo that requires special handling, including
CEIV Pharma, CEIV Fresh or CEIV Live Animals.
“We are proud that
HKIA retains its leading position as the world’s busiest cargo
airport in 2022,” said Jack So, Chairman of Airport Authority Hong
Kong. “Despite the impact brought to the global aviation
industry by the pandemic, HKIA’s cargo performance has
consistently remained strong over the past few years, leveraging
its extensive network and high efficiency. As air traffic
continues to recover worldwide, coupled with the completion of
various new cargo facilities at HKIA, we will continue to work
with our business partners to consolidate HKIA’s role as the
world’s leading air cargo hub.”
An array of projects are currently underway to
further enhance air cargo services at HKIA, in parallel with the expansion
into a three-runway system.
Major projects include the expansion
of DHL’s Central Asia Hub to increase its handling capacity by 50%
which was already completed for operation in the first quarter in
2023; the development of a premium logistics centre by a joint
venture spearheaded by Alibaba Group’s logistics arm, Cainiao
Network, scheduled to complete this year; and the introduction of
new sea-air intermodal cargo transshipment model by setting up
HKIA Logistics Park in Dongguan and a new airside intermodal cargo
pier at HKIA, for which the pilot scheme has been running
smoothly.
