Hong Kong International Airport recorded 4.42 million passengers and 30,080 aircraft movements in September, up 9.2 % and 1.6 % year-on-year respectively, according to figures released on 27 October. Cargo throughput slipped 1 % to 408,000 tonnes amid trade-policy uncertainty and several typhoon-related closures.
Traffic between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam showed the strongest rebound, signalling renewed appetite for intra-Asia business travel and production-related movements. Over the first three quarters, HKIA processed 44.7 million passengers—almost 15 % higher than the same period in 2024—while flight movements rose 8.9 % to 290,885. Rolling-12-month passenger volume now sits at 58.8 million, roughly 74 % of the pre-pandemic 2018 peak.
AAHK attributed the softer September growth to Typhoon Koinu, which forced a 14-hour runway shutdown, and to cargo softness on trans-Pacific lanes. Demand to Europe and the Middle East partly offset North-America declines, with Qatar, Hungary and Belgium highlighted as cargo “bright spots.”
For corporates planning regional meetings or supply-chain routings, the data confirm that seat capacity and connectivity continue to normalise, especially to Japan and the Mainland. Airlines have scheduled additional frequencies for the Christmas peak, and the third-runway system is on track for full commissioning in 2026, which should further ease slot constraints.
Travel-management companies advise locking in Q1 2026 group fares early, as load factors on Japan routes are already above 85 %. Shippers should watch for rate volatility on trans-Pacific sectors until U.S.–China trade negotiations stabilise.
Traffic between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam showed the strongest rebound, signalling renewed appetite for intra-Asia business travel and production-related movements. Over the first three quarters, HKIA processed 44.7 million passengers—almost 15 % higher than the same period in 2024—while flight movements rose 8.9 % to 290,885. Rolling-12-month passenger volume now sits at 58.8 million, roughly 74 % of the pre-pandemic 2018 peak.
AAHK attributed the softer September growth to Typhoon Koinu, which forced a 14-hour runway shutdown, and to cargo softness on trans-Pacific lanes. Demand to Europe and the Middle East partly offset North-America declines, with Qatar, Hungary and Belgium highlighted as cargo “bright spots.”
For corporates planning regional meetings or supply-chain routings, the data confirm that seat capacity and connectivity continue to normalise, especially to Japan and the Mainland. Airlines have scheduled additional frequencies for the Christmas peak, and the third-runway system is on track for full commissioning in 2026, which should further ease slot constraints.
Travel-management companies advise locking in Q1 2026 group fares early, as load factors on Japan routes are already above 85 %. Shippers should watch for rate volatility on trans-Pacific sectors until U.S.–China trade negotiations stabilise.
