HONG KONG, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) saw strong air traffic performance in February, recording a double-digit growth, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said on Tuesday.

Data show that the HKIA handled 5.42 million passenger trips in February, representing a year-on-year increase of 20.1 percent. Driven by the Chinese New Year holiday, the HKIA saw a passenger peak on Feb. 22, 2026, with daily volume exceeding 210,000 trips.

The combined growth of passenger volume in January and February was mainly driven by the 30 percent year-on-year growth in transfer/transit passenger traffic, according to the AAHK.

The cargo throughput of the first two months of 2026 rose by 8.2 percent year-on-year to 776,000 tons. Among the key trading regions, cargo throughput to and from Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East showed the most significant increase. ■