Hactl’s success is air cargo’s gain

HONG Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) handled 254,819 tonnes of cargo in March, a 4.4 per cent increase from last year, and 649,722 tonnes for the first quarter, up two per cent.

This year, Hong Kong Airport ranked first in global cargo handled, breaking Memphis Airport’s 18-year-long run. Its fortunes will now prove to be a more accurate indicator of global trends than Memphis’ as the latter’s success is heavily reliant on FedEx’s fortunes.

Export volume in March was 137,037 tonnes, up 4.3 per cent compared with last year. Cumulative export tonnage for the first quarter was 335,099 tonnes, representing a drop of one per cent year-on-year. Export to Japan in March registered a year-on-year drop of 18.3 per cent. In the first quarter, export to China showed a year-on-year growth of 7.9 per cent and export to Europe recorded a year-on-year decline of six per cent.

A total of 64,227 tonnes of import cargo were handled in March, revealing a year-on-year growth of 0.8 per cent. Cumulative import tonnage for the first quarter was 175,588 tonnes, up 0.6 per cent against the same period last year. Import from Japan in March showed a significant year-on-year decrease of 22.6 per cent. In the first quarter, import from US and Europe increased by 13 per cent and 16 per cent.

Transhipment volume for March recorded a growth of 9.3 per cent year-on-year to 53,555 tonnes. Total transhipment volume for the first quarter was 139,035 tonnes, up 12.4 per cent year-on-year.