August 2025 was a busy summer month at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Passenger numbers jumped year-on-year, the airport set a new daily peak since the pandemic, and cargo grew on Europe and Middle East traffic. Below are the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) figures for the month, with a bit of colour from the Airport Authority where it helps.
Passenger Traffic: Summer Peak and a New Daily High
According to CAD, HKIA handled 5.648.925 passengers in August 2025, a +15.3% increase on August 2024 (4.897.405). Arrivals were 2.916.829 and departures 2.732.096.
Month-on-month, that is about +9.0% above July 2025’s 5.180.973 passengers.
The Airport Authority’s rounded headline was about 5.68 million passengers (+15.8% year-on-year). The small gap versus CAD is just rounding and presentation; I use CAD as the precise source here. Rebound in travel to/from Japan and continued rise to/from Chinese Mainland and other destinations. Passenger traffic peaked on 10 August, surpassing 200.000 — new daily high since the pandemic (excluding weather re-scheduling days).
On a longer view (AAHK): Jan–Aug 2025 came to about 40.3 million passengers (+15.4% year-on-year), with flight movements about 260.830 (+9.9%), and cargo about 3.3 million tonnes (+2.6%). The rolling twelve months were about 58.4 million passengers (+16.7%), 386.655 movements (+11.9%), and about 5.0 million tonnes of cargo (+5.0%).
Cargo Handling: Still Growing Year-on-Year
CAD recorded 425.330 tonnes of air cargo in August 2025, a +5.6% increase on August 2024 (402.846 tonnes). Loaded cargo was 313.636 tonnes; unloaded 111.694 tonnes. (CAD’s freight figures exclude air mail.)
Compared with July 2025’s 428.130 tonnes, August was down about +0.7% month-on-month.
AAHK rounded the August total to about 429.000 tonnes (+5.6% year-on-year). Transshipments were up +13.5%. Europe and Middle East sustained growth offsetting North America declines under tariff impacts; transshipments +13.5%.
Flight Movements: Year-on-Year Climb Continues
CAD counted 34.816 civil international flight movements at HKIA in August 2025 (17.419 landings and 17.397 take-offs), a +10.2% increase on August 2024’s 31.603.
Month-on-month, movements were about +3.4% above July 2025 (33.668).
AAHK’s rounded figure was 34.840 movements (+10.2% year-on-year). Same story as CAD, slight presentation difference.
CAD’s monthly workbook does not split August into passenger, cargo and non-revenue movements, and the Airport Authority release gives the total only — so no invented breakdown this time either.
Conclusion
August 2025 was a standout summer month: passengers well ahead of last year, a post-pandemic daily peak above 200.000, cargo up mid-single digits with strong transshipments, and movements up about 10%. Japan rebound plus Mainland traffic were the passenger story AAHK highlighted.
Sources: Civil Aviation Department – Air Traffic Statistics and Airport Authority Hong Kong press release, 19 September 2025.
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