Hong Kong air cargo shows 2Q lift

   Air cargo throughput at Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), the largest air cargo handler, grew 4.8 percent year-on-year in June and 2.4 percent for the second quarter.
   But volume growth, measured in tons, was flat for the first half, led by a 7.8 percent drop in import volume and a 0.6 percent drop in exports as the air freight industry has been hit by sluggish production in China and demand in Europe.
   Hactl handled 1.3 million tons of freight in the first half of the year, and 231,858 tons in June. Exports exceeded 2011 figures in April, May and June 2012, as did transshipments – contributing to positive overall figures for all three months. Export volume to the growing markets, such as Middle East and Southeast Asia, posted strong growth in the first half of 2012, up 10.4 percent and 13.4 percent respectively, compared to the same period in 2011.
   “The recovery trend in our total figures continues, and we seem likely to return to modest annual growth once again, as 2012 progresses,” said Lilian Chan, executive director of Hactl. “But the balance of our business has been shifting for two years: exports are holding their own, while it is transhipments which are showing steady growth, and are now regularly on a level with imports. Overall, 2012 is looking better than we anticipated, and better than many predicted.”