HK airport keeps top spot as world’s busiest cargo hub
Hong Kong International Airport has retained its position as the world’s busiest cargo airport, though the volume of goods going through it last year still fell short of pre-pandemic levels.
It registered a 3.3 per cent year-on-year increase in cargo volume to 4.3 million tonnes, according to provisional figures released yesterday by the Airports Council International (ACI).
This marked the 13th time since 2010 the airport has ranked as the busiest cargo hub in the world. It lost the top position in 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are proud to have claimed once again the top spot for air cargo throughput. This accomplishment demonstrates [the airport’s] resilience, unparalleled efficiency and world-class cargo services,” Airport Authority Hong Kong chairman Jack So Chakkwong said.
“Air cargo is a key driver of the growth of Hong Kong’s logistics industry and overall economic development. [The authority] shall continue to work tirelessly with our air cargo community to further strengthen [the airport’s] competitiveness as a global cargo hub.”
Memphis in the United States took second place for the third consecutive year, with 3.8 million tonnes of cargo throughput, which was a 4 per cent decline year on year. Shanghai came third with 3.4 million tonnes, a 10 per cent increase from 2022.
Hong Kong’s cargo volume remained below 2019 levels when the airport handled 4.8 million tonnes, as operations last year were still in recovery mode after the pandemic. The airport said it would be able to handle up to 10 million tonnes once its threerunway system was implemented later this year.
Cathay Cargo, the city’s home carrier and the largest cargo operator at the airport, said it carried almost 1.4 million tonnes of goods last year, representing a 20 per cent increase from 2022.
“Hong Kong once again being named No 1 in the world for air cargo is a testament to the resilience, innovation and collaboration of the Hong Kong air cargo community,” Cathay director of cargo Tom Owen said.
The city’s infrastructure, expertise and capabilities, supported by the “intermodal connectivity” within the Greater Bay Area, had put Hong Kong at the forefront of the global air cargo industry, Owen said.
Air cargo volumes in the top 10 as a whole, representing 26 per cent of the global total in 2023, were down by 3.5 per cent year on year to 29.6 million tonnes.
The global air cargo market was estimated to have declined by around 3.1 per cent last year. Geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global trade and supply chains were the main factors behind the drop, according to the ACI.
“Global air travel in 2023 was chiefly fuelled by the international segment, propelled by several factors,” ACI World director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira said.
“Among these were the anticipated benefits from China’s reopening and a growing inclination towards travel despite macroeconomic conditions.”