Hactl up 13.6 percent in first half

Hong Kong’s major independent cargo handler – achieved 11.5% growth in tonnage through its SuperTerminal 1 base in the first half of 2014, compared to the same period of 2013. Imports increased 13.6% year on year, to a total of 243,287 tonnes. Exports also grew by 8.8% over 2013, reaching 489,624 tonnes. Transshipments showed the largest percentage growth, to 64,849 tonnes – up 34.2% on the same period of 2013. Hactl remains Hong Kong’s largest cargo handler, catering for over 100 scheduled passenger and all-cargo airlines, and serving over 1000 forwarders. It operates the airport’s largest cargo facility, with a design capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per annum. Says Hactl Chief Executive Mark Whitehead: “When we parted company with Cathay Pacific in 2013, we expected a long uphill struggle to replace this significant element of our business. In reality, we have quickly made up a substantial proportion of the traffic through new account wins, and organic growth among our 100 airline clients. “The growth in our transshipment traffic – while currently still the smallest part of our business – is very interesting, as it reflects the continuing development of Hong Kong as the preferred regional transshipment hub. “The transshipment result is also gratifying, as it rewards our recent drive to promote Hacis, our added-value logistics arm. This provides scheduled road feeders into and out of mainland China, which more and more carriers are using as a safe platform to extend their reach beyond Hong Kong.” Tonnage handled by Hactl in the first half of 2014 * Please note: In phases throughout 2013, former Hactl Shareholder Cathay Pacific completed its 6-year project to take over handling of its cargo (except horses and dangerous goods), historically performed by Hactl. In order to continue to provide meaningful comparison data for those who use Hactl as a benchmark for Hong Kong traffic as a whole, Cathy Pacific group figures are now removed from the 2013 figures.