London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Hong Kong airport passengers under 9 million for first time since 1985 amid Covid-19

Hong Kong airport passengers under 9 million for first time since 1985 amid Covid-19

More than 90 per cent of the estimated 8.8 million came in the first three months of the year, before the city effectively sealed its borders.

Fewer than 9 million passengers passed through Hong Kong International Airport last year, the lowest level since 1985, new data is expected to show this week, reflecting nearly a full year of Covid-19’s devastating impact on air travel.

Hopes of a near-term recovery also appear bleak, according to the International Air Transport Association, which on Tuesday lashed out at the city’s pandemic measures, in particular the Christmas Eve decision to raise quarantine from 14 to 21 days.

“Twenty-one days of quarantine is a very solid blocking point for an air traffic recovery. Everybody will be totally deterred from travel,” Alexandre de Juniac, director general and CEO of the global airline body, said at a media briefing.


Cathay Pacific airplanes sit grounded at Hong Kong International Airport.


The criticism dovetailed with new IATA data showing advanced flight bookings had weakened towards the end of last year, despite the roll-out of vaccines.

Annual passenger figures due to be released by the Airport Authority this week are expected to show an approximate 89 per cent drop in the number of people travelling in, out and through Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

Some 93 per cent of the estimated 8.8 million arrivals came in the first three months of 2020, before borders were effectively sealed off from visitors in March.

Traditionally one of Asia’s busiest airport hubs, HKIA welcomed 71.5 million travellers the year prior.

But 2020’s totals are much closer to 1985’s, when just 8.63 million people travelled via old Kai Tak Airport, according to Census and Statistics Department data.

Through November, HKIA had welcomed 8.72 million guests, while another 58,433 people travelled in and out of the airport in December, according to separate immigration data. Transit passenger flights typically made up just a third of all traffic during the pandemic.

The Post has contacted the Airport Authority Hong Kong, which runs HKIA, for comment.

During the worst of the pandemic, the city’s flag carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, saw daily passenger volumes plummet 99 per cent, down from an average 100,000.


International Air Transport Association CEO Alexandre de Juniac criticised Hong Kong’s quarantine requirements on Tuesday.


The struggling airline was saved by a government-led HK$39 billion bailout, but it was not enough to keep it from shuttering regional carrier Cathay Dragon and cutting 5,900 jobs in a major reset.

Global rivals also fared poorly, though the damage was not as severe as in Hong Kong. London Heathrow, the first of the major airports to report annual figures for last year, revealed passenger numbers fell 72.7 per cent to 22.1 million.

Nearby Guangzhou Baiyun Airport ended the year having handled 43.8 million passengers, a drop of two-fifths, but was still on course to be the busiest airport in the world for 2020, aided by its biggest operator, China Southern Airlines, mainland China’s largest carrier.

The relative strength of those numbers reflect the near complete recovery of the Chinese domestic air travel market, as mainland China recovered from the coronavirus after sealing its borders.


Advanced bookings for next month and March, meanwhile, were down four-fifths year on year, the airline body said on Wednesday.

IATA chief economist Brian Pearce noted “modest improvements” in bookings globally in the weeks after news of vaccines emerged. But from the end of December into early January “we have seen quite a sharp drop in bookings which means that the immediate outlook looks pretty challenging,” he said.

Pearce added: “While the financial markets say we can see light at the end of the tunnel, it’s some way away and the situation is likely to get worse first.”

Globally, the impact of Covid-19 shaved off 21 years of global passenger traffic growth, back to levels not seen since 1999, according to a report released at the end of last year by aviation data firm Cirium.

Cirium CEO Jeremy Bowen said: “This severe setback shows the true extent of the challenge faced by the struggling aviation sector as it has sought to reset itself in the post-Covid-19 era.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×