Hong Kong airport flights up 6%; strong euro boosts demand
Hong Kong International Airport, Asia's third-busiest, said the number of flights it handled in the six months through September rose 6 percent as a stronger euro boosted demand for Asia's goods.

Planes carrying cargo increased 8.5 percent to 23,205 and passenger traffic rose 5.3 percent to 123,405, Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a statement Sunday. The European currency climbed 5.5 percent against the Hong Kong dollar in the same period.

"The long-haul freight markets to the U.S. and Europe have been particularly robust, with the latter benefiting from the appreciation of the euro," Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hui said in the statement.