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A total of 1,057 and 1,041 flight movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport during the last two days (January 20 and 21 respectively), setting new daily records, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said today (January 22).
The 1,057 and 1,041 flight movements broke the previous single-day record of 1,003 flight movements set on April 22 last year and exceeded the daily average of 914 movements recorded in 2011 by around 15%. Moreover, 644 flight movements also operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region on January 20, making up a total of 1,701 flights handled by CAD within the 24-hour period. The strong growth was registered in air traffic operating both at the Hong Kong International Airport and through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. It also strengthened our position as the regional aviation hub.
In 2011, a total of 333,758 aircraft movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport and 184,842 aircraft movements operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. They represented respective increases of 8.9% and 14.5% compared with the same period last year.
The increase in flight movements was also attributed to the demand during the Chinese New Year holidays. Most of the extra flights operated by airlines were to destinations in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Taipei was the most popular destination, followed by Seoul and Sapporo.
"The Civil Aviation Department is encouraged by this new movement record and its smooth air traffic operation. As usual, CAD’s Air Traffic Management Division has deployed additional staff to cater for the seasonal demands. We are always committed to ensure a safe and efficient Air Traffic Service to the travelling public," the spokesman said.
Ends/Sunday, January 22, 2012
Issued at HKT 11:01
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