Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) demonstrated remarkable growth throughout 2024, bolstered by its historic transition to three-runway operations.
December proved particularly successful, with flight movements surging 12.5% year-on-year to reach 33,550 flights. The airport not only approached pre-pandemic operational levels but frequently exceeded them, establishing new daily movement records that underscore its robust recovery.
HKIA 2024 Performance
A Strong December
Passenger traffic showed equally impressive gains, with December 2024 recording 5.1 million travelers, representing an 18.3% increase from the previous year.
This growth was broadly distributed across all passenger segments, with routes connecting to Southeast Asia, Mainland China, and Japan showing particularly strong performance.
The recovery reflects growing regional travel confidence and the successful restoration of key aviation networks.

Cargo Sector Shows 20% Growth
The cargo sector demonstrated resilient performance, with December 2024 throughput climbing 6.6% year-on-year to 446,000 tonnes. Export activities were especially strong, posting a 6.8% increase.
The most significant cargo growth came from established trading routes with Europe, the Middle East, and Australasia.
Throughout 2024, exports drove overall cargo performance with a substantial 20.2% increase compared to 2023. This was particularly notable in shipments to and from Europe, North America, and the Middle East.

CEO Perspective
Vivian Cheung, Acting Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), highlighted the year’s achievements. “HKIA achieved remarkable success in 2024. The timely and budget-conscious completion of our Three-runway System in November marks a significant milestone.” “Maintaining our position as the world’s busiest cargo airport for the 13th time since 2010 further demonstrates our operational excellence.”
“After successfully managing peak Christmas traffic, we’re now preparing for increased Chinese New Year demand, with airlines substantially expanding their flight schedules.”
The airport’s annual performance metrics for 2024 reflect substantial growth across all operations. HKIA processed 53.1 million passengers and facilitated 363,305 flight movements, representing remarkable increases of 34.3% and 31.6% respectively compared to 2023.
Cargo operations showed similar strength, with total throughput growing 14.0% to reach 4.9 million tonnes.

Network Expansion
Network expansion continued into January 2025, with several significant route additions enhancing HKIA’s global connectivity. HK Express launched new services to Sendai, while Hong Kong Airlines resumed its valuable connections to Vancouver and Gold Coast. Shenzhen Airlines introduced new routes to Nanjing, and newcomer Air Premia established Hong Kong-Seoul services, further diversifying the airport’s international reach.
Three-runway System Commissioned
HKIA’s commitment to excellence continues to earn recognition. The airport’s Three-runway System project received the Prestigious Infrastructure Project in Hong Kong award. This was awarded at the Chartered Institution of Highways & Transportation (CIHT) Hong Kong 40th Anniversary celebration. It acknowledged the airport’s significant contribution to regional mobility infrastructure.

The airport’s achievements were further recognized at the 2024 Sky Choice Travel Awards, organized by CAAC Inflight Magazine. Here, HKIA secured both “International Airport of the Year” and “Innovative Airport of the Year” honors.
These prestigious awards, presented by the Civil Aviation Administration of China’s official publication, celebrate excellence across aviation, hospitality, and tourism sectors.
They placed particular emphasis on economic development and post-pandemic recovery initiatives. The selection process involves comprehensive evaluation by industry experts, analysis of third-party data, and careful editorial review, underscoring the significance of these accolades.

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