The Hong Kong International Airport handled 5.34 million passengers in May, up 10.2 percent from the same period last year, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong.  

The AAHK said in a statement that the airport also recorded 33,655 flight movements last month, an increase of 3.6 percent year-on-year, while cargo volume reached 435,000 tonnes, up 3 percent from a year ago.

Overall passenger growth in May was supported by a double-digit increase in transfer or transit passengers, followed by visitors, the AAHK said.

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During the Chinese mainland’s Labor Day “Golden Week” holiday from May 1 to 5, daily passengers peaked at 204,000 on May 1. By region, most markets expanded last month, with growth led by the mainland, Japan and Southeast Asia.

Overall cargo growth was primarily driven by transshipment, followed by imports, which recorded year‑on‑year increases of 23.2 percent and 1.2 percent, respectively.

By region, cargo performance was mixed, with expansion in the mainland and Southeast Asia offsetting declines in markets such as India, the AAHK said.

Notably, the Middle East saw modest growth in May, marking its first expansion since the outbreak of the conflict in the region in early March, it added.

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The airport’s global network expanded further, with Delta Air Lines returning to HKIA with new services between Hong Kong and Los Angeles, offering seven pairs of flights per week from June 8, boosting HKIA’s connectivity with North America.

Industry insiders said Hong Kong’s economic strength, global free-port advantages, and exceptional logistics prowess were key catalysts behind Delta’s strategic move.

Sun PhuQuoc Airways also launched new services to Phu Quoc Island in Vietnam, while Hong Kong Airlines started a new route to Lanzhou in May.

For the first five months of the year, passenger volume at HKIA increased by 12.5 percent year-on-year to 27.7 million, while flight movements rose 4.8 percent year-on-year to 168,745. Cargo throughput recorded a 3.6 percent increase to 2.06 million tonnes compared to the same period in 2025.

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On a 12-month rolling basis, HKIA handled 64 million passengers and 402,415 flight movements, recording year-on-year increases of 13 percent and 6.1 percent, respectively. Cargo volume grew by 3 percent year-on-year to 5.14 million tonnes.

The Hong Kong Tourism Board said earlier that the city recorded last month 4.46 million visitor arrivals, with visitors from long-haul markets increasing by 22 percent year-on-year during the month.