Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) set new record in annual traffic figures in 2005, breaking the records of 2004 in all categories, according to statistics released by the airport authority on Sunday.

The annual passenger throughput reached 40.74 million in 2005, up 9.7 percent over 2004.

Besides, about 3.4 million tones of cargo were handled in the same period, an increase of 9.9 percent over 2004. Export and transshipment of air cargo grew 10 percent and 24 percent respectively, indicating a continuous and robust demand for intra-regional trade as well as trade between this region and the United States and Europe.

Aircraft movements of 2005 exceeded 263,400, an 11 percent rise over 2004. Growth of cargo flights outpaced passenger flights with an increment of 20 percent and 10 percent over 2004 respectively, showing the increasing importance of cargo growth.

Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) Commercial Director Hans Bakker said, "To maintain our hub position and to facilitate the continuous growth of air traffic, the much anticipated SkyPlaza, which houses the second passenger terminal, will be opened later this year."

He said, "Impressive figures aside, we made a number of breakthroughs in our business. Besides the launch of the world's first cross-boundary check-in service in the fast growing Pearl River Delta, a total of 10 new carriers joined our extensive air network. The opening of Asia World-Expo -- the largest exhibition and event complex -- in December 2005 is a further illustration that HKIA is more than an airport."

(Xinhua News Agency January 16, 2006)