Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 4.3 million tonnes of cargo in 2014, up six per cent on 2013, because of transshipments to and from North America and Southeast Asia.
In December, HKIA handled 387,000 tonnes of cargo, down from November when it handled 421,000 tonnes, which the airport says was the first month it broke the 400,000 tonne barrier. Cargo volumes proved volatile throughout 2014, starting at 350,000 tonnes in January before dropping to 247,000 tonnes in February and rising to 397,000 tonnes in March. Volumes in April, May, June, July, August and September stayed similar at 362,000 tonnes, 367,000 tonnes, 361,000 tonnes, 370,000 tonnes, 365,000 tonnes and 364,000 tonnes, respectively. Cargo rose in October to 383,000 tonnes before the yearly high of 421,000 tonnes in November. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) chief executive officer, Fred Lam Tin-fuk, says: “We are pleased to see HKIA achieving another record breaking year in 2014…we are very proud that HKIA is one of the very few airports in the world that ranks near the top in both passengers and cargo volumes.”
In December, cargo volumes rose by 3.1 per cent year-on-year, the lowest increase of the year. Volumes rose by 5.3 per cent in January, before falling one per cent in February and increasing by 10.4 per cent in March, the highest growth seen in 2014. April saw a year-on-year rise of six per cent. May rose 8.3 per cent and June 7.3 per cent. July was up 8.3 per cent, and August by 8.8. Growth was slower in September at 5.2 per cent and 4.3 per cent in October before increasing to 5.5 per cent in November.
In November, AA announced a profit of 3.8 billion Hong Kong dollars ($490 million) for the six months ending on 30 September 2014. At the time Lam Tin-fuk said: “Because air traffic volumes at HKIA is growing at a faster-than-expected rate, we have been working on a number of projects, including the West Apron and the Midfield, to ensure that the airport is well equipped to meet its anticipated medium term demand.”
