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A total of 983 flight movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport yesterday (March 31), setting a new daily record, a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) said today (April 1).
The 983 flight movements broke the previous single-day record of 973 flight movements set on December 17 last year and exceeded the daily average of 891 movements by 10.3%. Moreover, 510 flight movements also operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region on that day, making up a total of 1,493 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. During the past 12 months (April 2010 - March 2011), 317,860 aircraft movements were handled at the Hong Kong International Airport and 167,431 aircraft movements operated through the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. They represented respective annual increases of 12.95% and 14.86%.
From March 27, CAD raised the declared runway capacity for dual runway operations to 61 movements per hour to cater for the increasing demand. By end of this year, it will be further increased to 62 movements per hour.
"The Civil Aviation Department is encouraged by this new movement record and its smooth air traffic operation. The steady growth in air traffic will strengthen Hong Kong's status as an international and regional aviation hub. As always, our Air Traffic Control staff are committed to providing a safe and efficient service to the travelling public," the spokesman said.
Ends/Friday, April 1, 2011
Issued at HKT 14:01
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