Hong Kong International Airport finished 2017 reinforcing its number one status with record cargo and mail volumes and breaking the five million tonne barrier – the first airport ever to do so.

Altogether, the hub handled 5,050,000 tonnes of cargo and mail, following a year of double-digit growth. Cathay Cargo was a key contributor to its home base, carrying just over two million tonnes in 2017, up 10.9 per cent on the previous year.

Cathay Cargo GM Cargo Commercial Nelson Chin said: "We finished the year even stronger than we started, with a series of record-breaking weeks through to week-ending 9 December, with good uplifts in most segments, and in particular e-commerce and perishables in the run-up to Christmas.

"We are also seeing the strong trend continuing as we head towards the Chinese New Year holiday, with encouraging signs for future bookings beyond that."

2017 also saw a focus on quality, as well as quantity. Hong Kong International Airport, Cathay Cargo and its airport subsidiaries Cathay Cargo Services, which operates the Cathay Cargo Terminal and GHA Hong Kong Airport Services were awarded IATA's CEIV certification. Chin added: "This was another important step in Hong Kong preserving its number one status for air freight."