Mike King, Special Correspondent | Feb 20, 2012 10:41AM EST
Cargo volume slumped more than 20 percent at Hong Kong International Airport in January from December and by 17.5 percent year-over-year as sluggish demand during Chinese New Year led to double-digit declines in imports and exports.
HKIA, the world’s largest cargo airport, handled 275,000 metric tons in the month. Exports fell 20 percent year-over-year, while imports and transhipment traffic declined 18 and 11 percent, respectively.
Comparisons to January 2010, however, are skewed because Chinese New Year fell in February last year. “The changes in passenger and cargo traffic would be smaller were we to average out (Chinese New Year’s) impact by looking at January and February together,” said Stanley Hui Hon-chung, CEO of the Airport Authority of Hong Kong.
“Although cargo is expected to be slow following a general decline last year, there have been signs of a slowdown in the rate of decline since the last quarter of 2011,” he said. “Therefore, we are confident that the aviation industry’s performance will continue to be vibrant in the long run.”
On a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA handled 3.9 million metric tons, down 6.7 percent year-over-year.
Contact Mike King at michael@borderline.eu.com.
