The airport handled a total of 870 flight movements on April 14, setting a new daily record, the Civil Aviation Department says.

The figure represents a 13.4% surge compared with the daily average of 767 movements, breaking the previous single-day record of 853 flight movements on January 27.

Yesterday also saw 403 flight movements operating through the city's flight information region, representing an 8.6% rise compared with an average of 371 movements a day.

The new record has reinforced Hong Kong's status as an international and regional aviation hub.

During this Easter holiday period, most of the extra flights operated by airlines are to destinations on the Mainland, and in Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia. Guangzhou is the most popular destination, followed by Bangkok and Osaka.

The increase of flight movements could be attributed to the heavy travel demand during the holidays and the opening of the Guangzhou Trade Fair in mid-April. It also registered a robust growth in air traffic to and from Hong Kong and through the city's flight information region.