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A total of 1 003 flight movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (April 22), the first 1 000 plus movements achieved in a single day, setting another new daily record, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said today (April 23).
The 1 003 flight movements broke the previous single-day record of 983 flight movements just set on March 31 and exceeded the daily average of 891 movements by 12.57%. Moreover, 521 flight movements also operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region on that day, making up a total of 1 524 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.
Buoyed by the robust economy in the region, flight movements are on an increasing trend. In the first quarter of this year (January to March 2011), 80 242 aircraft movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport and 44 840 aircraft movements operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. They represented respective increases of 14% and 15.02% compared with the same period last year.
The increase in flight movements was also attributed to the demand during the Easter 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 Bangkok and Kota Kinabalu.
"The Civil Aviation Department is encouraged by this new movement record and its smooth air traffic operation. As always, our staff are committed to providing a safe and efficient service to the travelling public," the spokesman said.
Ends/Saturday, April 23, 2011
Issued at HKT 10:29
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