Decline in Hong Kong air traffic
1 January 2002
Passenger throughput at Hong Kong International Airport tumbled 12 per cent year-onyear to 2.55m in October. Cargo fell 6.3 per cent to 197,000 tonnes. The airport blamed the slump on the slowing international economy and the repercussions of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the US.
The only bright spot was a 13 per cent increase in flight movements to mainland China, compared with a 12 per cent decline in flight movements to the US and Canada.
The number of mainland Chinese visitors to Hong Kong stood at 398,000 in October 2001, up 26 per cent year-on-year. Arrivals from all other destinations were down, said the island's tourism board.