These are costs over which the Group has limited control. Staff costs and related expenses increased 15.1%, to HK$1,628 million, mainly due to adjustments to ensure the market competitiveness of employees’ remuneration and an increase in staff numbers, particularly aviation security personnel, to cope with traffic growth. Repairs and maintenance rose 10.3%, to HK$677 million, largely due to additional work carried out on the airfield and terminals to ensure safe and reliable operation amidst increased traffic. Inflationary pressures on labour and material costs also contributed to the increase