Hong Kong airport passenger traffic up 11.7 pct in H1: financial secretary

HONG KONG, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's airport handled 32.8 million passenger trips in the first half of 2026, surging 11.7 percent from a year earlier, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said in his blog on Sunday.

In the first six months, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded more than 200,000 flight movements, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Chan.

About 140 airlines currently operate flights connecting Hong Kong with over 225 destinations worldwide. The city's efficient transport network, paired with a series of mega-events and exhibitions held this year, has boosted both business and leisure arrivals, Chan said.

During the January-July period, Hong Kong recorded 31.22 million visits, up 12 percent year-on-year, injecting renewed momentum and business opportunities into its economy.

Chan expected that the new passenger departure facilities at Terminal 2 of the HKIA, which opened in May, will be able to handle around 8 million passenger trips in the first year of operation.