HONG KONG. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) passenger traffic climbed by +2.9% year-on-year in 2016, hitting a new high of 70.5 million. It is the first time that HKIA traffic has exceeded 70 million; the airport reached the 60 million mark just two years earlier.
The figures will help inform bidders competing for the core category retail tenders at HKIA, which close on 2 February.
Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO Fred Lam said: “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.”
He added: “During the past year, HKIA also achieved new daily records in flight movements and cargo volume, reaching 1,270 flight movements and handling over 16,700 tonnes of cargo. In addition, 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.”
In December, passenger volume rose +2.8% year-on-year to reach 6.16 million. During the month, HKIA welcomed two new airlines – VietJet Air began scheduled passenger services between Hong Kong and Ho Chi Minh City from 9 December, while T’way Air began direct flights to Daegu in South Korea three times weekly from 13 December.
Hong Kong resident travel, which saw robust +11% year-on-year growth over the same month in 2015, was the main driver behind the growth in passenger traffic. Passenger traffic to and from Japan and Europe recorded the most significant increases by region.
Lam added: “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. We are also launching the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy this year, providing various courses to nurture talent for the industry.”
