Hong Kong No 2, in cargo, Beijing trumps O'Hare in passengers

AIRPORT Council International (ACI) has announced the ranking of passenger and cargo airports in 2009. Hong Kong continued to be the second largest cargo airport - after Memphis - with an annual volume of 3.38 million tonnes, down 7.5 per cent year on year.

The ranking of the top five cargo airports remained unchanged though their business was hard hit by downturn, Logistics Week reported. Tennessee's Memphis International Airport recorded growth, but only a fractional 0.4 per cent. Dubai Airport recorded an increase of 5.6 per cent. The rest airports all saw their cargo volume fell.

Alaska's Anchorage Airport recorded the sharpest fall, nearly 15 per cent. Frankfurt and Tokyo airport's volume were also falling due to reduction of services by the carriers.

Guangzhou's Baiyun is fastest-growing airport with a strong growth of 39.3 per cent. Beijing Airport for the first time overtook Chicago's O'Hare to be the third largest passenger airport in the world, Beijing was up 17 per cent to 65.3 million.

Cargo volume of the world's airports amounted to 71.3 million tonnes, down 8.2 per cent. International cargo fell 10.1 per cent to 41.7 million tonnes.

Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson stayed as the largest passenger airport with a throughput of 88 million, but down 2.3 per cent year on year for carriers' cutting of services. London's Heathrow was the second largest with a volume of 66 million, down 1.5 per cent.

(Source: www.schednet.com)