Hong Kong Airport posts double-digit passenger growth as network expansion continues

Hong Kong International Airport recorded strong growth in May 2026, handling 5.34 million passengers, up 10.2% year-on-year, while flight movements increased 3.6% to 33,655. Cargo volumes also rose by 3.0% to 435,000 tonnes.

Passenger growth was driven primarily by a surge in transfer and transit traffic, alongside rising visitor numbers. Demand peaked during China’s Labour Day Golden Week holiday, when daily passenger throughput reached 204,000 travellers. The strongest growth came from routes serving Mainland China, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Cargo performance was supported by a 23.2% increase in transshipment traffic, while imports also grew modestly. Notably, cargo traffic between Hong Kong and the Middle East returned to growth for the first time since regional conflicts disrupted trade flows earlier this year.

The airport also expanded its international connectivity, with Delta Air Lines resuming flights between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, while new services were launched to Phu Quoc and Lanzhou.

For the first five months of 2026, HKIA handled 27.7 million passengers (+12.5%), 168,745 flight movements (+4.8%) and 2.06 million tonnes of cargo (+3.6%), underlining the airport’s continued recovery and growth as a major international aviation hub.