HONG KONG – The Hong Kong International Airport handled 53.1 million passengers and recorded over 363,305 flight movements in 2024, up around 34.3 percent and 31.6 percent year-on-year, respectively, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong.

Total cargo throughput for 2024 saw an annual growth of 14.0 percent to 4.9 million tons, the AAHK said on Tuesday.

Flight movements in December rose year-on-year by 12.5 percent to 33,550, which was close to pre-pandemic level, with individual daily flight movements exceeding pre-pandemic level, setting a new record high, it added.

READ MORE: Hong Kong aviation reaches pre-pandemic levels

Passenger numbers in December alone totaled 5.1 million, up 18.3 percent year-on-year, with the most significant growth observed in routes to and from Southeast Asia, the Chinese mainland, and Japan.

“Year 2024 was a fruitful and rewarding year for the HKIA. We commissioned the three-runway system in November, on time and within budget, and was crowned the world’s busiest cargo airport for the 13th time since 2010,” said Vivian Cheung Kar-fay, AAHK acting chief executive officer.

ALSO READ: Chan: HKIA capacity 'fully restored' as holiday rush begins

The airport had a busy Christmas period and is preparing for another peak during the Chinese New Year holidays “as we see airlines adding a significant number of flights to meet the high demand”, she added.

Cargo throughput in December 2024 increased by 6.6 percent year-on-year to 446,000 tons, with a 6.8 percent increase recorded in exports. Traffic to and from key trading regions in Europe, the Middle East, and Australasia saw the most substantial increases.

The AAHK attributed the increase in cargo traffic in 2024 mainly to exports, up 20.2 percent compared with the previous year. The most significant increases were recorded in traffic to and from key trading regions in Europe, North America and the Middle East, it added.

READ MORE: 2.2m pass through HK on weekend before Christmas

The HKIA is further expanding its air traffic network with several new destinations and flight routes added in January 2025 and with multiple airlines introducing new destinations and routes in 2025.

As the new year began, the HKIA received a number of prestigious awards, the AAHK said. It was named “International Airport of the Year” and “Innovative Airport of the Year” at the 2024 Sky Choice Travel Awards organized by CAAC Inflight Magazine, the official inflight publication of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.