The Hong Kong International Airport said passenger growth slowed last month as higher fuel prices and slower economic growth in the city curbed traffic demand.

Asia's third-busiest airfield by passenger numbers handled 4.5 million people in July, a 1.3 percent increase from a year earlier, Airport Authority Hong Kong said. Passenger numbers grew 5 percent in June.

"We anticipate a more difficult operating environment and slower growth for all categories of air traffic for the remainder of the year,''chief executive officer Stanley Hui said in the statement. Cargo volume increased 0.7 percent to 317,000 tonnes in July, the airport said.