Dragonair Sets Second Consecutive Monthly Cargo Record

Dragonair set a new cargo uplift record for the second month in a row in October. The new high comes at the start of what is traditionally the busiest period of the year for carrying freight.

The airline carried 25,996 tonnes of cargo in October, an increase of 1.4% over September's record of 25,627 tonnes, and a 36.7% rise over October 2002.

"Cargo is continuing its upward trend, with a string of records set due to the high demand for shipments," said Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hui. "We are expecting November to continue the record-breaking run, as it is usually a peak month ahead of Christmas and the New Year."

Meanwhile, Dragonair's passenger numbers stabilised after the difficulties earlier in the year. The airline flew 334,989 passengers, up 9.1% on September's figure of 307,157 and down by 1.9% compared to the number carried in the same month last year.

"The number of individual travellers remains strong, especially those flying on business," said Mr. Hui. "Leisure traffic should continue to pick up as we head to the year-end holidays and into the New Year."