Export and transshipment flows lifted cargo volumes 3.6% in December, with annual throughput reaching 5.1m tonnes for 2025
Exports and transhipment helped Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) achieve healthy growth in air cargo volumes last month, while volumes for 2025 were also robust.
In December, cargo volumes grew 3.6% year on year to 462,000 tonnes. Exports and transshipment both increased during the month. HKIA noted an 18% growth in transshipments.
Cargo traffic to and from Southeast Asia, Europe and the Chinese Mainland grew the most among key trading regions.
HKIA reported that cargo throughput for 2025 also grew 2.7% to 5.1m tonnes.
Speaking about both passenger growth (up 13.5% year in December and 15% for the year) and cargo growth, Vivian Cheung, chief executive of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said: “The strong traffic performance in 2025 marks a new milestone, securing our position as the leading international aviation hub in Asia.
"During the year we also further strengthened connectivity by introducing 30 new destinations across the globe, including Abu Dhabi, Brussels and Dallas, while increasing flight frequencies on major routes.
"Our collective efforts have been widely recognised with some 80 prestigious awards received last year on different aspects of our operation and service — a testament to the dedication and excellence of the airport community.”
There has been plenty of investment in HKIA recently. At the end of 2024, the Three-runway System (3RS) at HKIA was commissioned, helping the airpport accomodate more flights and airlines.
Airlines such as Hong Kong Air Cargo (HKAC), which is based at HKIA, have been expanding services to and from the airport.
Last month, Hactl-owned Hong Kong Air Cargo Industry Services Limited (Hacis) strengthened its collaboration with Flexport with the aim of establishing Hong Kong as Flexport's transit hub.
Earlier in the year, Hactl had begun handling cargo routed through Hong Kong via the Air-Land Fresh Lane — a dedicated route for importing live and chilled seafood and fruits into the Greater Bay Area (GBA), via HKIA, the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB), and Zhuhai — with streamlined Customs clearance and quarantine procedures.
Cathay Cargo was the first airline to utilise the Air-Land Fresh Lane to improve the efficiency of moving goods across the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge (HZMB).
Airports Council International’s data for 2024 shows that HKIA recorded 4.9m tonnes of cargo, up 14% on the previous year.
