While the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released traffic figures of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for March 2022 that showed passenger traffic continued to remain significantly lower than the pre-pandemic level in 2019, cargo throughput and flight movements recorded during the month were 352,000 tonnes and 9,870, respectively, representing year-on-year decreases of 11.4% and 7.3%, respectively.

Cargo throughput has declined due to flight reductions since the emergence of the Omicron variant of COVID-19. Exports and imports experienced double-digit year-on-year declines, compared to the same month last year. Overall cargo to and from North America and Europe experienced the most significant decreases during the month.

Meanwhile, HKIA was ranked the World’s Busiest Cargo Airport in 2021 by Airports Council International. HKIA handled five million tonnes of cargo, representing 12.5% growth compared to 2020. Cissy Chan, Executive Director, Commercial of the AAHK, said: “We are delighted that HKIA maintained its leading position as the World’s Busiest Cargo Airport in 2021. The pandemic has had a serious impact on flight operations globally, but it has also generated high demand for e-commence and transportation of medical supplies. With the airport’s extensive freighter network, high efficiency and dedicated cargo operators, we saw double-digit growth in cargo throughput during 2021. AAHK is confident in the long-term development of HKIA’s air cargo business, and will continue to work closely with our business partners to enhance our performance.”