HKIA Passenger Traffic Picks Up in 2022 as Travel Restrictions Ease

(HONG KONG, 16 January 2023, 1200hrs)  –  Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) today released the 2022 traffic figures for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). In 2022, HKIA handled a total of 5.7 million passengers, representing a year-on-year increase of 318.4%. Total cargo throughput and flight movements dropped by 16.4% and 4.2%, to 4.2 million tonnes and 138,700, respectively.

Fred Lam, Chief Executive Officer of AAHK, said, “The airport endured another challenging year in 2022 as the impact of the pandemic continued. Nevertheless, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the HKSAR Government relaxed travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for inbound travellers in the second half of the year. Passenger traffic at HKIA started to pick up in the last quarter of 2022. We also have a good start of 2023 with the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland. We are confident that passenger traffic will continue to recover at HKIA.”

“Despite the pandemic AAHK spares no effort in improving the airport’s facilities to prepare for the recovery of air traffic. In the past year, the Third Runway was officially commissioned, which was a significant milestone for the Three-runway System project. Sky Bridge, the 200m-long footbridge connecting Terminal 1 and T1 Satellite Concourse, opened last November to offer convenience and new experience. Facial recognition is applied to the entire departure journey. The luxury zone and boarding gate areas have been revamped to amaze passengers with new looks and facilities,” added Mr Lam.

In December 2022, HKIA handled 1.6 million passengers, representing a surge of 938.7% compared with the same period last year. Flight movements increased by 8.7% year-on-year to 15,770. Cargo throughput saw a 26.4% drop to 351,000 tonnes compared to the same month last year.

Both Hong Kong residents and visitors are drivers of traffic growth in December 2022. Traffic to and from Southeast Asia and Japan experienced the most significant increases.

Cargo volume continued to be impacted by the global economic uncertainties, geopolitical tensions and disruptions to global supply chains. Import and export cargos decreased by 33% and 26% year-on-year respectively, compared to the same month last year. Southeast Asia, North America, and Europe recorded a similar significant decreased in terms of cargo volume in the month.