Voted best in the world, Hong Kong International Airport is the favourite of business and leisure travellers alike

HKIA was awarded the Best Airport Worldwide by both business and leisure travellers according to the authoritative AETRA survey. The airport ranked first in overall passenger satisfaction and also scored highly for its staff courtesy and helpfulness, comfortable and pleasant ambience and its ease of access to and from the airport.

Singapore's Changi and Seoul's Incheon came second and third in the AETRA survey conducted at 48 participating airports. The survey is jointly run by the worldwide airline and airport organisations - the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Airports Council International (ACI). 

February passenger throughput at HKIA rose to over 3 million, nearly 29 per cent above the same period last year. In the past 12 months, more than 37.8 million passengers travelled through HKIA, a jump of over 38 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year. Cargo tonnage rose 16 per cent while aircraft movements recorded a buoyant 26.8 per cent increase to 240,000.

Airline profit soars

Hong Kong's de facto carrier Cathay Pacific Airways bucked high fuel prices to post a near-record profit for 2004, confirming its status as one of the world's most profitable airlines. Cathay reported a 239 per cent jump in net profit to HK$4.41 billion (US$566 million), the second best in its history. Improved world and Hong Kong economies were the main drivers for growth and 2004 would have been the airline's best year had there not been a sharp rise in fuel prices.  

The rebounding economy has also caused the Hong Kong Tourism Board to revise upward its estimate on the number of tourists expected to visit Hong Kong this year from 22.9 million to 23.4 million. Last year, tourism figures hit a record breaking 21.8 million riding on a surge in all overseas markets but particularly from the Chinese mainland.

Two recent international surveys have found that Hong Kong is a less costly location to live in and work. The Economist Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Survey shows that Hong Kong fell to number 12 on the list, down from seven last year. The UBS Prices and Earnings Survey showed that Hong Kong is now the 15th most expensive of the 70 cities surveyed, down from second in 2003.   

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