Hong Kong airport cargo drops 29%
16-02-2009
Hong Kong's international airport has recorded a sharp fall in cargo volume in January compared to the same period last year. In a statement, the Airport Authority said cargo volume dropped 29 percent in January to 210,000 tonnes. It attributed the fall to shrinking international trade caused by the global economic downturn. It said almost all major markets recorded a double-digit decline in January. Passenger traffic, however, grew marginally to four-million people. The authority said the growth was helped by outbound travel by local people during the Lunar New Year holidays - which this year fell in January. Looking ahead, the authority's chief executive, Stanley Hui, said he expected further declines on the cargo front and drops in passenger traffic and aircraft movements. This was because, he said, companies would continue to keep a tight rein on their business activities and consumers, on their spending.
