Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) continued its strong recovery into February 2024, with significant gains in both passenger numbers and cargo handling. The latest provisional data shows a remarkable year-on-year growth across most key metrics, though some areas experienced a slight cooling compared to January 2024.
Passenger Traffic: A Slight Decline but Still Robust Growth
In February 2024, HKIA handled 4.2 million passengers, reflecting a 96.5% increase compared to February 2023, which saw 2.1 million travelers. While this growth is impressive, it represents a minor increase compared to January 2024, which recorded 4.14 million passengers, a 100% increase. Over the past 12 months, HKIA welcomed 43.6 million passengers, up by 349.2%.
Cargo Handling: Modest Gains with Some Challenges
In February 2024, HKIA handled a total of 324,000 tonnes of cargo, an 11.7% year-on-year increase compared to February 2023, when 290,000 tonnes were processed. The amount of unloaded cargo, however, saw a drop of 9.2%, a sharper decline than January’s 12.8% increase. Meanwhile, loaded cargo increased by 23.1%, a strong figure but slightly less than January’s 39.3% surge.
The overall picture for the past 12 months reflects steady growth, with 4.45 million tonnes of cargo handled, up 8.2% year-on-year. The February figures, while showing continued strength in exports, highlight a softening in import volumes.
Flight Movements: Passenger and Cargo Growth Steady
Flight movements at HKIA continued their upward trajectory, with 27,615 flights recorded in February 2024, marking a 69.3% year-on-year increase from February 2023. Although this is a slight decrease compared to January’s 28,755 flights, it still underscores the airport’s recovery.
Cargo flight movements rose by 11.9%, slightly outperforming January’s 27.3% increase. This stability is crucial for maintaining the momentum in HKIA’s cargo handling operations.
Comparison with January 2024:
- Passengers: February’s 4.215 million passengers slightly edged out January’s 4.14 million. The growth was slightly slower month-on-month, but the year-on-year recovery remains strong.
- Cargo: Total cargo in February (324,000 tonnes) was down slightly compared to January (377,000 tonnes), reflecting a month-to-month cooling, especially in unloaded cargo.
- Flight Movements: Both months saw strong year-on-year increases in passenger flights, but February saw a slight reduction compared to January’s totals, following typical seasonal patterns.
Conclusion:
While February 2024 experienced slightly slower growth compared to January, the year-on-year recovery of air traffic at HKIA remains robust. The strong performance in passenger traffic and steady rise in cargo handling highlights the airport’s continued recovery in the post-pandemic era. HKIA is expected to maintain its critical role in both international travel and logistics as it continues to adapt to the challenges and opportunities of a rapidly changing aviation landscape.
As 2024 unfolds, HKIA’s performance in the first two months is a positive indicator of the resilience and growth potential of both passenger and cargo operations. All eyes will be on how the airport navigates the remainder of the year as global travel demand continues to rise.