HKIA remained the world’s busiest cargo airport for the seventh consecutive year, handling over 4.64 million tonnes of cargo in 2016/17. To reinforce HKIA’s cargo leadership, we have conducted a consultancy study on the development of our air cargo operation, including a review of market trends, opportunities and challenges. Three major directions were identified as follows:
Temperature sensitive goods such as pharmaceutical products are one of the fastest-growing air cargo segments. We are striving to enhance HKIA’s capability with the industry to handle high-value temperature-controlled goods, such as pharmaceuticals, by upgrading hardware and software, with the aim of attracting more transshipment of such goods via Hong Kong. To capture the opportunity, we have worked closely with the cargo terminal operators, ramp handling operators and home-based carriers and assisted them to pursue the International Aviation Transport Association (IATA) Centre of Excellence for Independent Validators in Pharmaceutical Logistics (CEIV Pharma) certification.
Cross-border e-commerce continues to grow and drives a huge demand for air mail and express parcel services. We are working with Hongkong Post to explore ways to enhance the handling capacity and operational arrangement of the Air Mail Centre at HKIA. The capacity of the express cargo terminal operated by DHL at HKIA will also be expanded. To take full advantage of cross-boundary e-commerce opportunity, we will invite interested party for the development of a new modern logistics centre at Kwo Lo Wan in the South Cargo Precinct of HKIA. With its close proximity to HKIA, the new centre will be ideal for supporting e-commerce players as a regional order fulfillment centre or regional distribution centre for high-value and time-critical merchandise.
To facilitate the flow of transshipment cargo at HKIA, the HKSAR Government and AAHK have been actively examining facilitation measures to promote air-to-air transshipment in Hong Kong, with a view to enhancing HKIA’s competitiveness edge as an international air cargo hub.