HKIA wins three best-airport awards as September passenger traffic rises 10.2 per cent
Hong Kong International Airport received three best-airport honours, including Asia's Leading Airport for the sixth straight year, as September passenger traffic rose 10.2 per cent year on year to 4.86 million. The Airport Authority reported steady growth across traffic indicators and said it will k
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has won three best-airport honours as September passenger traffic recorded a 10.2 per cent year-on-year increase to 4.86 million.
Among the honours, the airport was voted Asia's Leading Airport at the World Travel Awards for the sixth consecutive year since 2020. Considered a global benchmark of industry excellence, the awards are decided by travel professionals and travellers worldwide to recognise outstanding performance across aviation, tourism and hospitality. In addition, the airport was named China's Leading Airport for the fifth consecutive year.
The airport also secured its 14th consecutive "Travel Hall of Fame – Best Airport" title at the TTG Travel Awards, an annual industry distinction determined by reader voting since 1989.
Vivian Cheung Kar-fai, chief executive officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, said the authority was honoured by the airport's continued recognition among regional peers. She stated that the awards not only reaffirm the airport's sustained achievements over the years but also honour the dedication and collective efforts of the entire airport workforce. Looking ahead, Cheung noted that the authority will continue collaborating with business partners to elevate the passenger experience and consolidate the airport's standing as a world-class international aviation hub.
In a statement, the authority reported steady expansion across all major traffic indicators in September. Alongside the 10.2 per cent rise in passenger volume, flight movements rose 7 per cent to 32,175, while cargo throughput expanded 6.3 per cent to 433,000 metric tons. Notably, transfer and transit passengers continued to drive overall passenger growth, followed by a 5 per cent year-on-year growth in visitor arrivals. Growth was recorded in most markets, with China leading and the Middle East market's decline easing.
Additionally, cargo growth was driven by transshipment and imports, which rose 26.9 per cent and 9.2 per cent, respectively. Southeast Asia and mainland China led regional cargo traffic, helping offset declines on European routes that the authority attributed to the European Union's elimination of a low-value import customs tax exemption in July.
Across the first three quarters of the year, the airport handled 49.1 million passengers and 302,075 flight movements, representing year-on-year gains of 10.1 per cent and 3.9 per cent, respectively. Cargo volume grew 3.1 per cent over the same period to 3.78 million metric tons. On a rolling 12-month basis, passenger throughput increased 11.5 per cent year on year to 65.4 million, flight movements rose 4.9 per cent to 405,945, and cargo volume climbed 3.3 per cent to 5.18 million metric tons.