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Hong Kong International Airport's traffic
figures continued to improve in August 2009, with passenger
throughput growing 2.8% to 4.3 million from the same period last
year. Meanwhile, the decline in cargo volume slowed to a
single-digit figure of 5.2%, recording 295,000 tonnes, while air
traffic movements decreased by 6.7% to 23,710.
Though cargo
exports and transshipments still experienced volume declines in
the range of 7 to 8% year on year, imports grew at approximately
4%, the first sign of positive growth since June 2008.
A
number of export markets including Europe, North America and Japan
continued to record double-digit drops, though Taiwan was the only
transshipment market to register a double-digit decline.
On the
passenger side, Hong Kong residents and transfer / transit
passengers showed year-on-year growth of 12% and 1%, respectively.
Visitor numbers, however, fell slightly by 1%.
Stanley Hui
Hon-chung, Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong,
said, "August performance is in line with the stabilisation trend
we have noted in recent months. Following double-digit drops in
cargo throughput for eight consecutive months from November 2008,
the 5.2% decrease in August shows further improvement from July's
8.3% decline. However, the narrowed drop should be viewed against
the background that both passenger and cargo volumes started to
show first signs of slowdown in August 2008.
"Looking ahead, we expect to see
further improvement in air cargo demand and load factor
as a result of reduced freighter capacity supply and a
seasonal demand increase in the market. Meanwhile,
although August saw mild growth in passenger traffic, we
maintain a cautious outlook on the performance as global
economy and aviation are only in the very early stage of
a slow and possibly volatile recovery."
From January 2009 to August 2009, the airport
received some 30.7 million passengers, processed 2 million tonnes
of cargo and handled 185,290 aircraft movements, representing
yearly declines of 6.9%, 16.5% and 7.9%, respectively.
On a
rolling 12-month basis, passenger throughput was down 6.1%
year-on-year to 46.3 million. While aircraft movements dropped
slightly by 5.6% to 285,340, cargo volume slid 16.2% to 3.2
million tonnes.
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