Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the world's busiest cargo hub, saw continued cargo growth in May, with air freight volumes increasing for the eighth consecutive month.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) released the air traffic figures at the Hong Kong International Airport for May, reporting a 19.0% increase to 416,000 tonnes.

This is higher than the 394,000 tonnes recorded in April.   

HKIA has continued to record double-digit year-on-year growth in cargo volume each month this year.

In an announcement, AAHK noted that export traffic remains the main driver of the growth, recording a 30.1% increase compared with the same month last year.

Mainland China's Labour Day "Golden Week" holidays, starting at the end of April, contributed significantly to traffic growth among all passenger segments in May.

Traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Mainland China, and Japan recorded the most notable boosts during the month.

Among key trading regions, cargo traffic to and from North America, Europe and the Middle East increased most significantly during the month.

For the first five months of this year, the airport handled more than 1.9 million tonnes of cargo, rising 18.0%, while flight movements also increased 50.5% year-on-year to 145,140.

On a 12-month rolling basis, cargo throughput also grew 13.1% year-on-year to 4.6 million tonnes, and flight movements increased by 76.3% year on year to 324,805.