PASSENGER traffic at Hong Kong’s airport rose 8.1 per cent in November 2010 from the same period in 2009.
The Airport Authority, which operates Hong Kong’s international airport, said the airport handled 4.1 million passengers in November, up from 3.8 million the previous year. Cargo throughput rose 7.1 per cent to 368,000 metric tons from 344,000 tons a year earlier.
The authority said November passenger traffic to and from major destinations grew, while growth in cargo traffic was driven mainly by robust growth in North America and Europe, both of which registered double-digit growth compared to the same month in 2009.
During the January to November period, passenger traffic rose 10.7 per cent from a year earlier to 46.5 million passengers and cargo throughput was up 24.8 per cent at 3.8 million tons.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority (AA) and more than 40 business partners have announced a plan to cut emissions by 25 per cent per workload unit, which is equal to one passenger or 100kg of cargo by 2015.
Airlines, government departments and other organisations have developed a number of initiatives to help achieve the target, which is thought to be the world’s first airport-wide carbon intensity reduction pledge.