Hong Kong Int. Airport Handled Just 8.8 Million Passengers in 2020

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 8.8 million passengers and 160,655 flights in 2020, year-on-year decreases of 87.7% and 61.7%, respectively.

In 2019, HKIA handled 71.5 million passengers which was down slightly from the 74.5 million in 2018 and 72.8 million in 2017, but up on the 70.5 million in 2016. In 1998, the year the airport opened, HKIA handled 28.6 million passengers.

Total cargo throughput during 2020 remained relatively stable at 4.5 million tonnes, representing a year-on-year decline of 7%. The airport handled 68,660 cargo flights during the year, an increase of 18.3% when compared to 2019.

In 2020, HKIA added a number of new destinations to its already extensive flight network, including Beirut, Darwin, Frankfurt-Hahn, Indianapolis, Khabarovsk, Maastricht, Moscow Vnukovo, Ostend and Pittsburg.

In the single month of December 2020, HKIA saw a 0.2% year-on-year drop in cargo handled to 443,000 tonnes. The airport registered passenger volume and flight movements of 90,000 and 12,650, which represent decreases of 98.4% and 62.8%, respectively, when compared to the same month in 2019.

Cargo imports and exports continued their strong growth in December, climbing 18% and 8% year-on-year, respectively. Transshipments decreased significantly due to shortage of belly capacity on passenger flights.

Vivian Cheung, Executive Director, Airport Operations for Hong Kong's Airport Authority, said, “The COVID19 pandemic continues to cause grave impacts on the airport community, particularly on passenger traffic. The Airport Authority is deeply grateful for the community’s dedication and resilience in these difficult times, including adapting to new travel requirements, adjusting operations to fluctuating passenger numbers, and implementing new health measures to ensure the safety of staff and passengers. In 2021, we will continue to work closely with the airport community in managing the continuing challenges and prepare for the recovery of passenger traffic when the pandemic subsides.”

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