Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) — the world's busiest cargo hub — reported another month of double-digit cargo growth in November, mainly driven by strong transhipment volume.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said cargo throughput at the airport increased by 10.2% year-on-year to 458,000 tonnes.

November's freight volume was also up compared to the 442,000 tonnes recorded in October.

"Cargo throughput maintained its rising momentum in November with double-digit year-on-year growth," AAHK said.

"Among positive growths in all cargo sectors, an 18.6% increase in transhipment was the main contributor to the growth," it added.

 [Source: AAHK]

Cargo traffic to and from Europe, the Middle East and North America saw the most significant gains among key trading regions.

Over the first 11 months of the year, cargo volume grew by 14.8% year-on-year to 4.5 million tonnes. 

On a 12-month rolling basis, cargo throughput grew by 15.2% to 4.9 million tonnes, and flight movements surged by 37.2% to 359,590.

Meanwhile, the airport continues to expand its air traffic network as several new destinations and flight routes have been added in December.

AAHK said HK Express added new flight routes to Shizuoka, Phu Quoc Island and Hualien; Hong Kong Airlines launched a new flight route to Sendai; Greater Bay Airlines introduced new flight routes connecting to Sendai, Huangshan and Yichang; and Hebei Airlines, Loongair and Royal Air Philippines launched new routes connecting Hong Kong to Shijiazhuang, Changchun and Manila, respectively.