Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 3.9 million tonnes cargo in 2011, down 4.6 per cent year on year, said a Hong Kong Government statement.

In December, air cargo throughput fell 4.3 per cent to 346,000 tonnes year on year, while passenger traffic rose 7.5 per cent to 4.8 million. The airport recorded 29,275 aircraft movements, exceeding the previous record of 28,951 in August 2011 and representing 5.5 per cent year-on-year growth.

Said the Hong Kong Airport Authority, the cargo decline in December was mainly due to the seven per cent year-on-year drop in exports and five per cent contraction in imports. But transshipments posted three per cent year on year growth.

Europe and North America saw double-digit year-on-year declines in cargo traffic owing to the fragile economy in these two regions.

But passenger trips and aircraft movements set new records. Last year, 53.9 million passengers arrived in Hong Kong, up 5.9 per cent year on year. Also, the airport handled 333,760 aircraft movements, up 8.9 per cent compared to the previous year.

Thirteen new airlines started operations in Hong Kong in the course of the year, bringing the total number of carriers to more than 100.

Related posts:

1. Indian railways, Weitou Port, Safmarine, Air Hong Kong, KLM, TIACA, SITC,
2. Hong Kong Marine, Jiangyin, Hilti, shipping software, Hactl, Lufthansa cargo, China-Taiwan trade, Cargo Containers
3. Lykes, Zhuhai Port, ZIM, Marine Shipping, Hassett Air Express, SAS Cargo, Canadian Pacific Railway, New Zealand Customs Service, Hong Kong Air Cargo, FedEx Express
4. Hunan, NYK, Hong Kong companies, CNACG, Asian imports, cargo exports, CTSC, FedEx freight, Lufthansa Cargo News
5. Tianjin logistics, Felixstowe, SHEKOU Container, Cosco, GeoLogistics Americas, SkyTeam Cargo, Emirates, Hong Kong airport, Leo Shipping, P&O Nedlloyd, Rotterdam, Cosco vessels, DOT finalises carrier