Chinese New Year fuels Hong Kong Airport traffic growth in February; levels remain below pre-pandemic

HONG KONG, CHINA. Passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reached 4.5 million in February, up +7% year-on-year but still -23.6% below pre-pandemic 2019 levels.

Latest data from Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) indicates that aircraft movements for the month rose +5.2% year-on-year to 29,075.

The significant year-on-year growth was driven by heightened travel demand during the Chinese New Year period. On 2 February, the airport recorded its highest single-day passenger traffic since the pandemic, with approximately 195,000 passengers.

This milestone not only marks a new post-pandemic daily record but also highlights a return to pre-pandemic traffic levels, the airport company said.

The Chinese New Year travel boom fuelled a strong start of the year for HKIA, with 9.8 million passengers recorded in the first two months, up +17.3% from the same period last year.

Flight movements climbed +11.2% to 62,735, while transfer/transit passengers surged +36% and visitor numbers grew +15%. The highest increase in passenger numbers was seen on routes to and from Southeast Asia and Japan.

Over the past 12 months, passenger volume increased +25% year-on-year to 54.5 million, with aircraft movements rising +23.2% to 369,635.