OREANDA-NEWS.   Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reported another busy month, with all three traffic categories sustaining their growth trends in May. Passenger volume reached 5.1 million, marking a year-on-year increase of 8.9%. Cargo volume rose 8.3% to 367,000 tonnes, while flight movements grew 5.3% to 32,700 compared to the same month last year.

Continued growth in passenger traffic in May was contributed by year-on-year growth in all passenger categories – Hong Kong resident traffic, visitor traffic and transfer/transit traffic, grew by 10%, 8% and 9% respectively. Passenger traffic to/from Taiwan and Mainland China recorded the most significant increases.

The growth in cargo throughput last month was driven mainly by transshipments, which was up 18% from a year ago. During the month, cargo throughput to/from Mainland China improved most significantly compared to other key regions.

Stanley Hui Hon-chung, Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said, “In recent years, airlines have been adjusting their fleets and replacing old aircraft with newer and quieter models offering higher fuel efficiency and lower emissions. We are also seeing airlines introducing larger aircraft to serve busy routes, particularly on the major inter-continental routes.  Supporting this trend, we have been enhancing facilities at HKIA and have just completed modification of an additional parking stand to serve large Code F aircraft, including the A380 and B747-8. As a result, HKIA is now equipped with a total of six frontal parking stands that can accommodate these largest wide-bodied aircraft.

"We are also pleased to welcome the launch of new daily service by American Airlines to Dallas/ Fort Worth, Texas on 13 June. The new route further expands HKIA’s extensive flight network to the south central United States. In addition, Delta Air Lines will start flying to Seattle from HKIA later this month. The two new non-stop services enhance convenience for travellers from Hong Kong and southern China visiting Dallas and Seattle, which are two important metropolitan destinations in America," Mr Hui added.

Over the first five months of 2014, passenger traffic climbed 6.9% to 25.6 million. Cargo volume throughput grew to 1.7 million tonnes while flight movements reached 159,305 – both increasing by 6.1% compared with the same period last year.

On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA handled 61.5 million passenger trips, 4.2 million tonnes of cargo and 381,255 flight movements, representing year-on-year increases of 7.2%, 4.1% and 6.4% respectively.