Hong Kong Airport reports 3% rise in Aug-2009 pax numbers

Hong Kong International Airport reports (13-Sep-09) the following traffic highlights: Aug-2009:

• Passenger numbers: 4.3 million, +2.8% year-on-year;
• Cargo volume: 295,000 tonnes, -5.2%;
• Aircraft movements: 23,710, -6.7%. [more]

Airport Authority Hong Kong: "August performance is in line with the stabilisation trend we have noted in recent months. Following double-digit drops in cargo throughput for eight consecutive months from November 2008, the 5.2% decrease in August shows further improvement from July's 8.3% decline…Looking ahead, we expect to see further improvement in air cargo demand and load factor as a result of reduced freighter capacity supply and a seasonal demand increase in the market. Meanwhile, although August saw mild growth in passenger traffic, we maintain a cautious outlook on the performance as global economy and aviation are only in the very early stage of a slow and possibly volatile recovery," Stanley Hui Hon-chung, CEO of Airport Authority Hong Kong. Source: Company report, 13-Sep-2009.