Hong Kong International Airport is the principal airport in Hong Kong. It is colloquially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport, due to the fact that it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation. It opened for commercial operations in 1998, and is an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway for destinations in China, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Despite its relatively short history, the airport has won several notable international "Best Airport" awards, although it lost out to Singapore Changi Airport in the Skytrax "Best airport" award in 2006, having won it from 2001-2005. It is currently given a rating of five stars by Skytrax's airport grading exercise along with two other airports. The airport operates around-the-clock and is capable of handling 45 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo a year. It is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, along with several other smaller airlines, including Hong Kong Express Airways, Hong Kong Airlines, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and Air Hong Kong.