The positive transhipment result ' up 5.5% for the first three quarters of 2011, and 8.5% for September - is the bright spot in the company's overall traffic. Exports are 9.0% down for the year to date, while imports are slightly better at 7.8% down. Overall, Hactl tonnages are down 5.8% on 2010, at a total of 2,009,275 tonnes.
The company continues to handle around 70% of all airfreight through Hong Kong, and to command some 80% share of total cargo volume handled by cargo terminal operators in Hong Hong, with a carrier list of over 100. Hactl has signed up five more scheduled carriers so far in 2011.
Lilian Chan, Executive Director of Hactl, attributes the results on exports and imports partly to misleading comparisons with 2010, and to the currently unsettled global markets: '2010 was an exceptional year, with a post-recession bounce caused by global re-stocking particularly in the big-ticket items that form the backbone of airfreight flows.
'It was unlikely that 2011 would match 2010, and the year began much as we predicted. Our traffic levels are still above the pre-recession peak of 2008. But there is no doubt that throughput is now being impacted by global uncertainty, fuelling soft consumer demand for non-essentials. We are confident this will ease in due course, but we believe the last quarter of 2011 will disappoint many, and 2012 Q1 will also be tough.'
Meanwhile Hactl believes its strong performance on transhipments is largely a reflection of Hong Kong's successful efforts to develop its role as the major airfreight hub for the whole of this region.
Continues Chan: 'As a handler, we have limited control over our destiny: we rise or fall with the global market, the local market, and the popularity of our customer carriers. What we can do, however, is ensure the continuing high quality of our services, to provide maximum support for our customer carriers' efforts to grow market share and seize transhipment opportunities via Hong Kong.'
Hactl is also looking at new sources of business, both for itself and its customers, adds Chan: 'Hactl is actively promoting its Hacis express road feeder system, which links Hong Kong with six receiving depots throughout the very important Pearl River Delta region. Customs-bonded trucks ensure timely and safe delivery of cargo to Mainland China. Hacis enables our customer airlines to penetrate a much wider catchment beyond Hong Kong. We expect Hacis to become a more significant share of our total business, and this will help to insulate our customers from the continuing challenges of the market.'
The summary of the export, import and transhipment volumes is tabulated as follows:
Tonnage handled by Hactl in September, the third quarter and the first nine months of 2011
