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Freight traffic continues to route strongly through the Hong Kong port, with the overall port handling 12.5% more containers in May than in the same month last year, compared to an 8.5% growth rate for the Shenzhen ports in May. The Hong Kong port handled 2.02mn TEU in May 2006, of which 1.34mn TEU were handled by the container terminals in Kwai Chung and Tsing Yi. The Shenzhen ports handled a total of 1.5mn TEU in May. Cumulatively, the Hong Kong port has handled 9.4mn TEU from January to May 2006, at a rate increase of 7.1% while the Shenzhen ports have handled 6.9mn TEU at a rate increase of 12.2%.
In May 2006, cargo volume handled at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reached 283,000 tonnes, at a growth rate of 4.5% over May last year.
The Hong Kong airport’s freight traffic continues to outpace worldwide results. In January-April 2006, a total of 1.1mn tonnes of cargo have been handled at the HKIA representing a growth rate of 8.2%. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) released international traffic date for Jan-April 2006 that showed 5.7% growth for freight over the same period in 2005. IATA’s Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani, said that April load factors reached their highest point, 76.5%, in the past decade. He said strong economies the world over are supporting strong demand growth for both freight and passenger traffic, and even with the high price of oil and rising interest rates, there is no apparent drop in demand. |
