World Airport Rankings 2010: Hong Kong eclipses Memphis as the world’s busiest cargo hub

HKIA's cargo volumes soared 23.1% year-on-year in 2010 to 4.17 million tonnes. Memphis, FedEx Corp's main hub, reported a creditable 5.9% increase in cargo traffic to 3.9 million tonnes last year. Memphis has been the world's busiest cargo airport since at least 1992. In 2009, Memphis Airport's tonnage exceeded Hong Kong's by slightly under 312,000 tonnes.

See related report: Hong Kong unveils Phase I of midfield development project. Becomes world's largest freight airport

Memphis-Shelby County Airport Authority President Larry Cox, in a recent interview with The Commercial Appeal, confirmed that Memphis' 18-year reign as the world's top cargo airport has ended, stating: "Nothing lasts forever". Mr Cox stated the change represents a "global shift", adding that Hong Kong would have likely overtaken Memphis a couple of years earlier, had the global recession not slowed China's economic momentum. Separately, an AAHK spokesman commented: "The last five years, it's not been a question of if it was going to happen, but when. It took longer than we thought."

Worldwide cargo traffic rebounds in 2010

Worldwide cargo demand rose strongly by 15.2% last year, according to ACI, which produces the rankings. The freight recovery was "more coherent and comprehensive" than the passenger segment, according to the airports body. All regions showed a robust double-digit increase, led by Asia Pacific (+18.6%) and Europe (+17%). International freight was the driver of the air freight recovery as total tonnage jumped by 20.5% compared to 2009.

See CAPA's related World Airport Rankings 2010 reports:

• Passenger numbers: Big changes to global Top 30. Beijing up to #2, Heathrow falls to #4
• Aircraft Movements: US airports dominate, Atlanta still biggest. Tokyo Haneda into Top 30

Other than the change at the top of the cargo rankings, very little changed among the Top 30 cargo hubs last year. Paris CGD regained four places, to come in as 6th largest, while Louisville dropped four places to 10th.

Evolution of the world's Top 10 cargo airports: 2001 to 2010

Source: Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation & AAHK

Beijing, which became the world's second busiest passenger airport last year, actually dropped two places in the cargo rankings in 2010 to 16th, while Shanghai Pudong remained the 3rd busiest (with a 27.1% surge in volumes last year). Guangzhou remained 21st and Shenzhen rose three places to 27th busiest.

Atlanta replaced Dallas/Fort Worth in this year's Top 30 cargo airports.

NB: Click on any of the airport names/codes in the table below to view detailed schedule and fares data, as well as news and analysis.

World's Top 30 Airports by Cargo Tonnage: 2010

Source: ACI & Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation