Cargo throughput at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the world's busiest cargo hub, continued to gain momentum at the start of the new year, recording a 4.1% year-on-year increase to 394,000 tonnes in January 2025.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said all cargo sectors saw positive growth, with transshipments recording the highest increase at 12.2%.

Cargo traffic to and from the Middle East, Europe, and Australasia grew the most among key trading regions during the month.

On a 12-month rolling basis, cargo throughput saw double-digit growth of 12.0% to 4.95 million tonnes, while flight movements experienced a significant 27.6% increase to 368,195.

Meanwhile, on the passenger side, the airport handled 5.28 million passengers during the month, representing an annual growth of 27.8%. Average daily passenger traffic exceeded 170,000 in January — with traffic to and from Southeast Asia, mainland China, and Japan recording the most significant increases during the month.

On January 25 alone, HKIA handled over 193,000 passengers, reaching another post-pandemic high and representing a full recovery to the pre-pandemic peak level. 

Last November, the airport commissioned its Three-runway System (3RS), which would expand capacity, further boosting HKIA's position as a major international aviation hub.

HKIA's target is to handle 10 million tonnes of cargo and serve 120 million passengers annually in about 10 years from now. The airport has a current cargo capacity of 5 million tonnes per year.