Hong Kong airport posted a 16.4% growth in cargo traffic in November, but passenger numbers fell 0.4%.
Total passenger numbers dropped 0.4% to 3.8 million from 3.81 million a year ago, says the airport.
"The mild drop in passenger throughput was mainly due to the 21% year-on-year rise in Hong Kong resident traffic," it adds.
Visitor traffic declined 1%, and transit traffic fell 12%, says the airport.
This is "mainly a reflection of more and more Taiwanese passengers taking scheduled direct flights when travelling across the Taiwan Strait," it adds.
In terms of cargo, the total throughput rose 16.4% to 344,000t from 295,000t, says the airport.
"While the 16.4% growth in cargo tonnage is certainly encouraging compared to the 1.3% year-on-year increase seen in October, the smaller decreases in passenger traffic and aircraft movements also indicate progress," says Airport Authority Hong Kong's CEO Stanley Hui.
"Stronger demand for air travel and better market sentiment are driving airlines to reinstate their previously suspended capacity and routes," he adds.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
