Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. (Hactl) finished 2016 in good form, increasing 2015 tonnage by 1.7 percent to more than 1.65 million tonnes, and setting new terminal and ramp handling records.
Transshipments recorded the highest growth, at 29.6 percent, year-over-year, growth. Mail, courier and express traffic rose 8.4 percent, and exports grew 2.1 percent, y-o-y.
Imports were down 8.3 percent, y-o-y, despite steady increases in 4Q 2016. Chief executive Mark Whitehead noted that, while the year started slow, “2016 shaped up to be a very satisfactory year for Hactl and its airline customers. The best results showed in the second half, and are hopefully indicative of a more settled picture for global air cargo that will continue into 2017.”
November 2016 saw Hactl break its record for weekly cargo handling for three consecutive weeks, peaking at 41,926 tonnes from Nov. 28 through Dec. 4. That same week, Hactl handled 628 freighters. And on Nov. 23, Hactl handled 101 freighters in a single day.
Freighters serviced in the month of November 2016 totaled 2,579, beating the previous November’s record of 2,242 by more than 15 percent.
Those interested in learning more about the changing air freight landscape in Asia should join us at Cargo Facts Asia in Shanghai, 25 – 26 April, where a session will be devoted to the topic.  To register, or for more information, go to CargoFactsAsia.com.