HKs air cargo falls 20

HONG Kong’s airfreight traffic dropped nearly 20 per cent in April compared to last year, according to the Hong Kong International Airport. The airport said that it handled 257,000 tonnes of cargo in April, a decrease of 19.8 per cent from April 2008.

Exports were most badly hit, with a 27 per cent year-on-year drop due to falls in demand from all major overseas markets. Imports shrank 16 per cent year-on-year, with Southeast Asia and Japan being most badly affected.

‘Cargo throughput remains the hardest hit in comparison to passenger volume and aircraft movements, reflecting the continued weakening of global trade and consumption,’ said Stanley Hui, chief executive.

Although April saw a slight rise of 4.1 per cent in passenger traffic this was attributed to the Easter holidays this year falling in April instead of March. The struggling global economy and the recent scare over swine flu have also both slowed demand.