Hactl up 10.1% in third quarter

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl) – Hong Kong’s largest independent cargo handler – has achieved 10.1% growth in tonnage through its SuperTerminal 1 base in the first nine months of 2014, compared to the same period of 2013. Total cargo handled in the period was 1,323,250 tonnes.

Imports in January-September increased 11.2% year on year, to a total of 367,137 tonnes. Exports also grew, by 7.6% over 2013, reaching 748,443 tonnes. Transshipments continued to show the largest percentage growth, up 35.3% on the same period of 2013 to a new total of 99,573 tonnes. Mail, express and onboard courier traffic totaled 108,097 tonnes – up 5.3% on 2013.

Hactl, Hong Kong’s largest cargo handler, catering for over 100 scheduled passenger and all-cargo airlines, and serving over 1000 forwarders. It operates the airport’s largest cargo facility, with a design capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum.

Says Hactl Chief Executive Mark Whitehead: “Organic growth among our 100 airline clients continues to produce positive results. Transshipment traffic is showing growth, with our Hacis road feeder services playing an increasingly important role in our overall business.”

“There is never certainty in air cargo, with many extraneous factors affecting business, but we are optimistic about volumes for the balance of 2014 and are well prepared for the challenge of 2015 and onwards.”

* Please note: In phases throughout 2013, former Hactl Shareholder Cathay Pacific completed its 6-year project to take over handling of its cargo (except horses and dangerous goods), historically performed by Hactl. In order to continue to provide meaningful comparison data for those who use Hactl as a benchmark for Hong Kong traffic as a whole, Cathy Pacific group figures are now removed from the 2013 figures.