Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded continuous traffic growth in 2016, with all three traffic categories reaching new annual heights. During the year, HKIA handled 70.5 million passengers and 411,530 flight movements, representing yearly rises of 2.9 percent and 1.4 percent, respectively. Cargo throughput also increased by 3.2 percent year on year to 4.52 million tons.

“We are delighted to see another record breaking year of growth, and we must thank our more than 73,000 colleagues of the airport community for their concerted efforts in achieving this remarkable accomplishment, which will further strengthen HKIA’s leading position as an international and regional aviation hub,” said Fred Lam, chief executive officer of the Hong Kong Airport Authority.

During 2016, HKIA achieved new daily records in flight movements and cargo volume, reaching 1,270 flight movements and handling over 16,700 tons of cargo. “In addition,” said Lam, “we welcomed five new airlines, namely Austrian Airlines, Bismillah Airlines, Malindo Air, T’way Air and VietJet Air during the year. We also expanded our air network, adding eight new destinations, including Madrid, Saipan, London Gatwick, Nha Trang, Chiang Rai, Ishigaki, Takamatsu and Yonago.”

The strong growth in December cargo throughput was largely driven by transshipments and exports, which registered 15 percent and 12 percent year-on-year growth, respectively. Amongst the key trading regions, traffic to and from Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe increased most significantly in the month.

In the month of December 2016, all three traffic categories also experienced steady growth, with flight movements reaching a new monthly record of 35,650—registering a 0.7-percent year-on-year increase. The passenger volume handled during the month rose 2.8 percent yearly to reach 6.16 million, while cargo throughput climbed 11.3 percent over the same period in the previous year to 435,000 tons. During the month, HKIA welcomed two new airlines. VietJet Air has commenced scheduled passenger flight services between Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City beginning December 9, while T’way Air began offering direct flights to Daegu in South Korea three times weekly beginning December 13.

“To meet the medium and long-term growth demands of today’s aviation landscape, we are pushing forward a number of developments at HKIA, including the expansion of Terminal 1 and the three-runway system,” said Lam. “We are also launching the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy this year, providing various courses to nurture talent for the industry.”