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Improved performance at Hong Kong International
Airport in the fourth quarter of 2009 indicates that recovery is
underway despite full-year contractions in passenger traffic,
cargo volume and aircraft movements of 46.1 million (-5%), 3.35
million (-7.7%) and 279,505 (-7.2%) respectively.
In the first three quarters of the year,
year-on-year cargo throughput at the airport was down by 22.9%, 17.1% and 5.9%
from Q1 to Q3, but a 16.2% gain in Q4 helped narrow the decline
for the full year. On the passenger side, traffic in the fourth
quarter decreased by just 0.2% compared to the same period last
year, a noticeably smaller drop than the Q1-Q3 year-on-year
declines of 7.1%, 9.2% and 3.5%. Aircraft movements showed a
similar trend, seeing drops of 6.7%, 8.8% and 8.2% over the first
three quarters of the year but only a 5.1% decline in the fourth
quarter.
“Hong Kong’s aviation industry faced a number of
challenges in 2009. We saw contractions in all three air traffic
categories, which were due in large part to the global financial
crisis that began in the latter part of 2008. The outbreak of H1N1
and the gradual increase in the number of cross-strait direct
flights also had negative effects on HKIA,” said Stanley Hui Hon-chung,
Chief Executive Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA).
“In addition, volatile fuel prices, yield erosion from
significantly reduced demand in front-end business traffic, and
low cargo yields for most of 2009 caused airlines to reduce
frequencies and suspend services to destinations, which continued
to result in financial losses.”
In December 2009, cargo
throughput saw an increase to 330,000 tonnes, up 35.5% from a year
earlier. During the same month, passenger traffic
increased 3.4% to 4.18 million, which was mainly attributed to the
16% year-on-year growth in travel made by Hong Kong residents.
Visitor numbers grew 4% while transfer/transit passengers declined
6%. The number of air traffic movements reached 24,225,
representing a year-on-year drop of 2.1%.
Mr Hui said the
across-the-board improvements in air traffic figures for the last
quarter, especially in comparison with the first three quarters,
indicate that business is gradually flowing back to HKIA. He noted
that airlines have also been increasing or restoring flight
frequencies that had been previously suspended.
In light of
signs of improvement in the global economy and continued strong
growth on the Mainland, Mr Hui said he expects growth to return in
2010, adding that with the hard work and support of the entire
airport community — including airlines, freight handlers,
retailers and government bodies — he is confident that HKIA will
emerge stronger and better, maintaining its status as the airport
of choice for global travelers and freight operators.
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December 2009,
Hong Kong,
Hong Kong Airport
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