HKIA wins top spot again as world’s busiest cargo airport

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) took the No.1 place in the 2024 ranking of the world’s busiest cargo airports by Airports Council International (ACI) World. The airport has been named the busiest cargo airport in the world for the 14th time since 2010. The airport handled 4.9 million tonnes of cargo during the year. Vivian Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority Hong Kong, said, “We are proud to be consistently named the world’s busiest cargo airport over the years. This is a great demonstration of our commitment in enhancing our cargo services by striving for innovation and seizing opportunities. Alongside the commissioning of the Three-runway System, we are also seeing new cargo handling facilities established at the airport. We will continue to work with the air cargo community to leverage the unique advantages at HKIA, strengthen our resilience amid the economic uncertainties and challenges, and reinforce HKIA as the world’s leading aviation hub.’’ Cathay Cargo congratulated Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) for being named the world’s busiest cargo airport according to Airports Council International for the 14th time since 2010. This remarkable achievement underscores HKIA’s pivotal role in global air cargo, and Cathay Cargo said it is honoured to have contributed to this success. Cathay Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “That Hong Kong has once again been named number one in the world for air cargo is an outstanding achievement and one that stands as testament to the cooperation, innovation and world-leading facilities that our home hub has to offer. As the largest cargo operator at HKIA, we are proud to be part of this success story. We won’t rest on our laurels, however, and our investments into our fleet, network, facilities and digital capabilities reflect not only our commitment to, but also our confidence in the long-term future of the Hong Kong international aviation and logistics hub. We look forward to continuing to work together with the entire air cargo community, including the Transport and Logistics Bureau, Civil Aviation Department, Airport Authority Hong Kong and other important stakeholders, to innovate and ensure HKIA maintains its position as the world’s best and busiest air cargo hub.” Cathay Cargo is among the top 10 cargo carriers in the world based on scheduled cargo tonne kilometres (CTK), and number five as a combination airline, according to the latest International Air Transport Association (IATA) 2023 World Air Transport Statistics. In 2024, Cathay Cargo carried a total of 1.5 million tonnes of cargo, 11% more than the previous year, and representing around 31% of the total cargo volume handled by HKIA. Cathay Cargo provides scheduled freighter services to more than 40 destinations worldwide in addition to utilising belly space on the Cathay Group’s passenger aircraft across its extensive global network. Last month, Cathay Cargo was named Cargo Operator of the Year by Air Transport World, further solidifying Hong Kong’s leadership in the industry. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]