In this Aug 11, 2024, photo, passengers wait in long queues in front of check-in counters at the Hong Kong International Airport as the aviation hub witnessed a gradual increase in the number of air travelers. - Photo: China Daily/ANN
HONG KONG: The Hong Kong International Airport’s capacity “has been fully restored” with daily passenger traffic expected to reach the pre-pandemic peak of 200,000 passengers during this Christmas season, according to Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan.
The HKIA ramped up its services as travellers started flocking to the airport to fly out for the Christmas break, with the Airport Authority Hong Kong anticipating departures to peak this weekend. Airport immigration officials recorded 83,426 departures on Friday and 86,847 on Saturday (Dec 21).
“My colleagues and industry friends have already made full preparations for the seamless flow of people and goods, ensuring everyone can enjoy this festive season with their families and friends,” Chan said in a blog post on Saturday.
“In fact, we have reached 1,150 flight movements today, which is very close to the pre-pandemic 1,200 daily movement and these all reflect that the airport's capacity has been fully restored.”
Chan said local airlines are actively exploring new destinations to support the expansion of HKIA’s network and provide more choices for travellers.
The HKIA launched this year direct passenger services to Xining, Zhoushan, Huangshan, and Yichang in the Chinese mainland; Vientiane, Laos; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Sendai and Yonago, Japan; and to Cairns, Australia.
Local airlines will also open direct flights in phase to the Gold Coast, Australia; Dallas, USA; Hyderabad, India; Munich, Germany; and Brussels, Belgium next year, Chan added.
Last month, the airport handled 4.44 million passengers and 31,105 flight movements, representing year-on-year increases of 18 percent and 11.6 percent, respectively, the AAHK said.
Cargo throughput increased to 458,000 tonnes, up 10.2 percent compared to November 2023, it added.
On a 12-month rolling basis, passenger volume saw a significant 42.2 percent year-on-year increase to 52.3 million, while flight movements surged by 37.2 percent to 359,590. Cargo throughput grew by 15.2 percent to 4.9 million tonnes. - China Daily/ANN
