HONG KONG, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's airport handled 32.8 million passenger trips in the first half of 2026, surging 11.7 percent from a year earlier, Paul Chan, financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government, said in his blog on Sunday.

File photo: IC

In the first six months, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) recorded more than 200,000 flight movements, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, according to Chan.

About 140 airlines currently operate flights connecting Hong Kong with over 225 destinations worldwide. The city's efficient transport network, paired with a series of mega-events and exhibitions held this year, has boosted both business and leisure arrivals, Chan said.

During the January-July period, Hong Kong recorded 31.22 million visits, up 12 percent year-on-year, injecting renewed momentum and business opportunities into its economy.

Chan expected that the new passenger departure facilities at Terminal 2 of the HKIA, which opened in May, will be able to handle around 8 million passenger trips in the first year of operation.