Daily flight movements hit new record
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     A total of 1,172 flight movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport on March 29, setting a new daily record, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said today (March 30).

     The 1,172 flight movements broke the previous single-day record of 1,081 flight movements set on December 22 last year and exceeded the daily average of 986 movements recorded in the first two months of 2013 by 18.9%. Moreover, 617 flight movements also operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region on March 29, making up a total of 1,789 flights handled by the CAD within the 24-hour period.

     The increase in flight movements was attributed to the higher than normal demand during the Easter holidays. The extra flights were operated to destinations in Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia and the Mainland. Taipei was the most popular destination, followed by Bangkok and Seoul.

     "The CAD was anticipating this new movement record in view of the consistent growth of traffic in recent years. The CAD's Air Traffic Management Division has enhanced operational procedures and deployed additional staff to cater for the seasonal demands and ensure safe and efficient air traffic operation at all times," the spokesman said.

Ends/Saturday, March 30, 2013
Issued at HKT 11:30

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