New | Hactl upbeat after 8.7pc boost in cargo handling for 2014
Volume gain last year underpins confidence for 2015, especially with cheaper oil, chief Mark Whitehead says
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (Hactl), the biggest independent air cargo handler at Hong Kong International Airport, handled 8.7 per cent more goods last year and chief executive Mark Whitehead is optimistic about this year's prospects.
Hactl said yesterday that it handled 1.81 million tonnes of cargo last year, with exports accounting for 1.04 million tonnes of that. Whitehead, who described the results as "very pleasing", told the : "I am reasonably optimistic about global air cargo trends in 2015 and even into 2016.
"With oil prices coming down and airlines adjusting their hedging position, the prospect for air cargo in the short to medium term is positive."
Whitehead added that a European recovery would be a great growth driver, as the strengthening of the United States economy was a key factor in air cargo's improved performance last year.
"Europe is only going to improve; it can't get worse," he said.
The Airport Authority said last week total tonnage throughput at Hong Kong International Airport, the world's largest air cargo hub, rose 6 per cent to 4.38 million tonnes last year, up from 4.12 million in 2013.
