Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport

香港國際機場
View of Hong Kong International Airport in 2010
Summary
Airport typePublic
Owner/OperatorAirport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK)
ServesPearl River Delta
LocationChek Lap Kok, New Territories, Hong Kong
Opened6 July 1998; 25 years ago (1998-07-06)
Hub for
Focus city for
Time zoneHong Kong Time (+08:00)
Elevation AMSL8.5 m / 27 ft
Coordinates22°18′32″N 113°54′52″E / 22.30889°N 113.91444°E / 22.30889; 113.91444
Websitewww.hongkongairport.com
Maps
Map
Map
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
07R/25L 3,800 12,467 Asphalt concrete
07C/25C 3,800 12,467 Asphalt concrete
07L/25R 3,800 12,467 Asphalt concrete
Statistics (2023)
Passengers39,501,000 Increase 598.3%
Aircraft movements276,000 Increase 98.5%
Cargo (metric tonnes)4,331,000 Increase 3.1%
Source: Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong International Airport
Traditional Chinese香港國際機場
Simplified Chinese香港国际机场
Jyutpinghoeng1 gong2 gwok3 zai3 gei1 coeng4
Cantonese YaleHēunggóng Gwokjai Gēichèuhng
Chek Lap Kok International Airport
Traditional Chinese國際機場
Simplified Chinese𫚭国际机场
Jyutpingcek3 laap6 gok3 gwok3 zai3 gei1 coeng4
Cantonese YaleCheklaahpgok Gwokjai Gēichèuhng

Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH) is an international airport located on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the former Kai Tak Airport.

Opened in 1998, the airport is the world's busiest cargo gateway and one of the world's busiest passenger airports. It is also home to one of the world's largest passenger terminal buildings, which was the largest when the airport opened.

The airport is operated by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), a statutory body of the Hong Kong government established on 1 December 1995. It runs 24 hours a day and is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific, Greater Bay Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express and Air Hong Kong (cargo carrier). The airport is one of the hubs of Oneworld, and is also one of the Asia-Pacific cargo hubs for UPS Airlines. It is a focus city for China Airlines and China Eastern Airlines. Ethiopian Airlines utilizes Hong Kong as a stopover point for their flights.[citation needed]

HKIA, an important contributor to Hong Kong's economy, employs approximately 65,000 people. More than 100 airlines operate flights from the airport to over 180 cities across the globe. In 2015, HKIA handled 68.5 million passengers, making it the 8th busiest airport worldwide by passenger traffic and the 4th busiest airport worldwide by international passenger traffic. Since 2010, it has also surpassed Memphis International Airport to become the world's busiest airport by cargo traffic – except in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic-related disruptions.

History

View of the airport from the Ngong Ping 360 cable car (2007)
Map showing the reclaimed land of Lantau Island, Lam Chau and Chek Lap Kok.
A front view of Hong Kong Airport (2008)
The exterior of Hong Kong International Airport at night

Chek Lap Kok Airport was designed as a replacement for the former Hong Kong International Airport (commonly known as Kai Tak Airport) built in 1925. Located in the densely built-up Kowloon City District with a single runway extending into Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong airport had turned on the runway lights for expansion to cope with steadily increasing air traffic. By the 1990s, Kai Tak had become one of the world's busiest airports – it far exceeded its annual passenger and cargo design capacities, and one out of every three flights experienced delays, largely due to lack of space for aircraft, gates, and a second runway. In addition, noise mitigation measures restricted nighttime flights, as severe noise pollution (exceeding 105 dB(A) in Kowloon City) adversely affected an estimated 340,000 people at least.

A 1974 planning study by the Civil Aviation and Public Works departments identified the small island of Chek Lap Kok, off Lantau Island, as a possible future airport replacement site. Far away from the congested city centre, flight paths would be routed over the South China Sea rather than populous urban areas, enabling efficient round-the-clock operation of multiple runways. The Chek Lap Kok (CLK) airport master plan and civil engineering studies were completed towards the end of 1982 and 1983, respectively. In February 1983, however, the government shelved the project for financial and economic reasons. In 1988, the Port & Airport Development Strategy (PADS) Study was undertaken by consultants, headed by Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited, reporting in December 1989. This study looked at forecasts for both airport and port traffic to the year 2011 and came up with three recommended strategies for overall strategic development in Hong Kong. One of the three assumed maintaining the existing airport at Kai Tak; a second assumed a possible airport in the Western Harbour between Lantau Island and Hong Kong Island, and the third assumed a new airport at Chek Lap Kok. The consultants produced detailed analyses for each scenario, enabling the government to consider these appraisals for each of the three "Recommended Strategies". In October 1989, the Governor of Hong Kong announced to the Legislative Council that a decision had been made on the long-term port and airport development strategy for the territory. The strategy to be adopted was that which included a replacement airport at Chek Lap Kok and incorporating new container terminals 8 and 9 at Stonecutters Island and east of the island of Tsing Yi, respectively.

In the PADS study, the consultants advised that the earliest the airport could be opened was January 1998. However, in reaching the government's decision, this date was modified to January 1997, six months prior to the handover of Hong Kong to China. Construction of the new airport began in 1991. As construction progressed, an agreement was reached with China that as much as possible of the airport would be completed before the handover to China in July 1997. British Prime Minister John Major opened the Tsing Ma Bridge, the main access to Lantau Island and the airport and its supporting community in May 1997, prior to the transfer of sovereignty to China. The airport itself was opened in July 1998.

The construction period was very rushed; specialists considered that only a 10–20-year period was sufficient for this massive project.[citation needed] Another cause for this rush was due to the uncertain future of the airport construction after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China. Shortly after the then-British colonial government of Hong Kong announced plans to construct the new airport, the Chinese government in Beijing began voicing objections to various aspects of the massive project, which prompted financial institutions to delay extending project finance. Without access to this financing, many of the companies who had secured contracts to build various portions of the project halted construction, resulting in delays that pushed the actual opening of the airport, originally planned to take place before the transition in sovereignty until one year after. As agreements were reached with the government in China, Beijing withdrew most of its objections and work then continued, albeit behind schedule.[citation needed]

Hong Kong International Airport was built on a large artificial island formed by flattening and levelling the former Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau islands (3.02 square kilometres (1.17 sq mi) and 0.08 km2 (0.031 sq mi) respectively) and reclaiming 9.38 km2 (3.62 sq mi) of the adjacent seabed. The 12.48-square-kilometre (4.82 sq mi) airport site, with its reclamation, added nearly 1% to Hong Kong's total surface area, connecting to the north side of Lantau Island near Tung Chung new town.

Construction of the new airport was only part of the Airport Core Programme, which also involved the construction of new roads and rail links to the airport, with associated bridges and tunnels, and major land reclamation projects on both Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. The project holds the record for the most expensive airport project ever, according to Guinness World Records. Construction of the new airport was also voted as one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century at the ConExpo conference in 1999.

The detailed design for the airport terminal was awarded to a consortium led by Mott Connell (the Hong Kong office of UK consultant Mott MacDonald) with British Airports Authority as specialist designers for airport related aspects, Foster and Partners as architects and Ove Arup as specialist structural designers for the roof. Mott Connell were the designers for foundations, all other structural components and the mechanical and electrical work. The sides of the terminals, predominantly glass, were designed to break during high-speed winds, relieving pressure and allowing the terminal to withstand an intense typhoon.

The airport was officially opened in an opening ceremony by the President of the People's Republic of China and General Secretary of the Communist Party Jiang Zemin at noon Hong Kong Time on 2 July 1998. Hours later, Air Force One, carrying the President of the United States Bill Clinton, landed at the new airport and became the first foreign visitor to arrive at the new airport. The actual operation of the airport commenced on 6 July 1998, concluding the six-year construction that cost US$20 billion. On that day at 06:25 Hong Kong Time, Cathay Pacific Flight CX 889 from New York JFK Airport became the first commercial flight to land at the airport, pipping the original CX 292 from Rome which was the scheduled first arrival. However, the airport had already started to experience some technical difficulties on the first day of opening. The flight information display system (FIDS) had suddenly shut down which caused long delays. Shortly afterwards, the cargo-communication link with Kai Tak, where all the necessary data was stored (some still stored there then), went down. During the same period of time, someone had accidentally deleted an important database for cargo services. This meant that cargo had to be manually stored. At one point, the airport had to turn away all air cargo and freight headed for and exported from Hong Kong (except food and medical supplies) while it sorted out the huge mess. HKIA simply could not keep up without an automated assistant-computer system. For three to five months after its opening, it suffered various severe organisational, mechanical and technical problems that almost crippled the airport and its operations. Computer glitches were mostly to blame for the major crisis. Lau Kong-wah, a Hong Kong politician, was quoted saying "This was meant to be a first-class project, but it has turned into a ninth-class airport and a disgrace. Our airport has become the laughing stock of the world." At one time, the government reopened the cargo terminal at Kai Tak Airport to handle freight traffic because of a breakdown at the new cargo terminal, named Super Terminal One (ST1). However, after six months the airport started to operate normally.

On 31 July 2000, Todd Salimuchai, a regularised illegal immigrant in Hong Kong with no provable nationality, forced his way through a security checkpoint using a fake pistol, took a woman hostage, and boarded a Cathay Pacific aircraft. He demanded to be flown to Burma, which he claimed was his native country but had refused to admit him due to his lack of documents. He surrendered to police two and a half hours later.

Officially opened in June 2007, the second airport terminal, called T2, (check-in facility only) is linked with the MTR Airport Express on a new platform. The terminal also features a new shopping mall, SkyPlaza, providing a large variety of shops and restaurants, together with a few entertainment facilities. T2 also houses a 36-bay coach-station for buses to and from mainland China and 56 airline check-in counters, as well as customs and immigration facilities.

Besides T2, the SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course has been opened in 2007 whereas the second airport hotel, the Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel; and a permanent cross-boundary ferry terminal, the Skypier, began operations in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Development around T2 also includes the AsiaWorld-Expo which has started operation in late 2005. A second passenger concourse, the North Satellite Concourse (NSC), opened in 2010, followed by the Midfield Concourse in December 2015.

During August 2019, the airport was shut down multiple times as demonstrations were held inside the airport during the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, over 160 flights were cancelled as both the arrivals and departures sections of the airport were occupied.

The third runway, known as the North Runway, opened in 2021, was the first part of the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030 to open. The Center runway was then closed to facilitate construction works and upgrades.

Composition

Airport Layout (Runway 07C/25C is currently under reconstruction)

Hong Kong International Airport covers an area of 3,101 acres or 1,255 hectares (4.85 sq mi). The airport has a total of 90 boarding gates, with 77 jet bridge gates (1–21, 23–36, 40–50, 60–71, 201–219) and 12 virtual gates (228–230, 511–513, 520–525) which are used as assembly points for passengers, who are then ferried to the aircraft by apron buses. Of the 66 jet bridges, five (Gates 5, 23, 60, 62, 64) are capable of handling the Airbus A380, the current users of which are Asiana Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines. Korean Air and China Southern Airlines previously operated a route to HKIA from Seoul and Beijing respectively using the Airbus A380, but these airlines decided to not use them due to unprofitable nature of the aircraft type. Air France, Lufthansa and Thai Airways International previously operated services to Hong Kong from Paris, Frankfurt and Bangkok using the Airbus A380, though they retired the aircraft types early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition to Chek Lap Kok, the airport occupies what was Lam Chau.

Terminal 1

Terminal 1 of the HKIA, with an area measuring 570,000 square metres (6,100,000 sq ft),[needs update] is one of the largest passenger airport terminal buildings in the world, after the likes of Dubai International Airport Terminal 3 and Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3.

Opened on 6 July 1998, Terminal 1 was the largest airport passenger terminal building, with a total gross floor area of 531,000 square metres (5,720,000 sq ft). It briefly conceded the status to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (563,000 m2 (6,060,000 sq ft)) when the latter opened on 15 September 2006, but reclaimed the title when the East Hall was expanded, bringing the total area to its current size of 570,000 square metres (6,100,000 sq ft). Terminal 1's title as the world's largest was surrendered to Beijing Capital International Airport Terminal 3 on 29 February 2008.

In late 2021, the air side of Terminal 1 started segregating Mainland Chinese flights and other international flights into two separate zones, "Green zone" and "Orange zone", for the purpose of reducing the risk of cross infection of novel coronavirus between travellers and airport workers serving different destinations.

On 1 November 2022, the Sky Bridge opened as part of a wider HK$9 billion airport upgrade, connecting Terminal 1 to the T1 Satellite Concourse (T1S). Lined with glass floor panels at the edges, the 200 metre long and 28 metre high bridge, the largest of its kind, is high enough for an Airbus A380 to pass underneath.

T1 Satellite Concourse

In 2007, HKIA began the construction of a two-storey T1 Satellite Concourse (T1S), previously known as the North Satellite Concourse (NSC), which opened in December 2009.[better source needed] This concourse was designed for narrow-body aircraft and is equipped with 10 jet bridges. The concourse has a floor area of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft) and will be[when?] able to serve more than five million passengers annually. T1S was built so the airport could accommodate at least 90 percent of its passengers by aerobridges. It has two levels (one for departures and one for arrivals). A new Sky Bridge connecting Terminal 1 and T1S opened in November 2022, allowing passengers to walk above taxiing planes, saving time from taking the airport shuttle bus.[better source needed]

T1 Midfield Concourse

On 25 January 2011, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) unveiled phase 1 of its midfield development project which was targeted for completion by the end of 2015. The midfield area is located to the west of Terminal 1 between the two existing runways. It was the then last piece of land on the airport island available for large-scale development. This includes 20 aircraft parking stands, three of these are wide enough to serve the Airbus A380 and cater for an additional 10 million passengers annually. Passengers reach the concourse through an extension of the underground automated people mover. A joint venture of Mott MacDonald and Arup led the design of the project. Gammon Construction undertook the construction work. The Concourse began operations on 28 December 2015, and the first flight that used it was the HX658 operated by the Hong Kong Airlines flying from Hong Kong to Okinawa. On 31 March 2016, the Concourse was officially inaugurated in a ceremony marking its full commissioning.

Former Terminal 2

Former Terminal 2 with an area measuring 140,000 m2 (1,500,000 sq ft), together with the SkyPlaza, opened on 28 February 2007 along with the opening of the Airport station's Platform 3. It was only a check-in and processing facility for departing passengers with no gates or arrival facilities (passengers were transported underground to gates at Terminal 1). The SkyPlaza was situated within. Former Terminal 2 was temporarily closed in 28 November 2019 at 11pm for expansion to provide departure and arrival facilities for the new satellite terminal from the three-runway system. Before its temporary closure most low-cost carriers and some full-service carriers had relocated their check-in operations to former Terminal 2.

Other buildings

Airport control tower

Cathay Pacific City, the head office of Cathay Pacific and Air Hong Kong, is located on the airport island. CNAC House, the office for Air China is also located in the airport complex, together with the Civil Aviation Department headquarters. HAECO also has its head office on the airport property. HK Express has its head office on the airport property, in what was previously the Dragonair House, head office of Cathay Dragon.

The Government Flying Service (GFS) has its head office building in the airport. Additionally the head office of the Air Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) is in the Facility Building on the airport property.

Airport expansion projects

In June 2010, the Airport Authority unveiled plans to develop in stages the vast midfield site of the airport island. Stage 1 will involve the construction of a new 20-gate passenger concourse to be built in 2 phases (completion 2015 and 2020) with 11 gates in phase 1 growing to 20 gates in phase 2. The configuration of the new concourse is similar to those at Atlanta, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Berlin (Terminal 1), Chicago–O'Hare (Global Terminal), Denver, Detroit (McNamara Terminal), London–Heathrow (Terminals 2 and 5), Los Angeles (TBIT), Munich (Terminal 2), Salt Lake City, Seoul–Incheon, Washington–Dulles and Felipe Ángeles International Airport (Zumpango). After stage 1 of midfield development is completed in 2020,[needs update] there will be sufficient lands remaining for further new concourses to be built as and when demand for them materialises.

Master Plan 2030

One year after, on 2 June 2011, the Airport Authority announced and released their latest version of a 20-year blueprint for the airport's development, the Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030. The study took three years and according to the authority, nine consulting organisations have been hired for the research, observation, planning and advice. The main focus is to improve the overall capacity and aircraft handling ability of the airport. Based on this, two options have been developed.

Option 1: Two-runway system

To maintain the current two-runway system, there will be enhancements to the terminal and apron facilities to increase the airport's capacity. This option will enable the airport to handle a maximum of 420,000 flight movements per year, with annual passenger and cargo throughput increased to 74 million and six million tonnes respectively. The approximate cost of this plan is $23.4 billion Hong Kong dollars in 2010 prices, or HK$42.5 billion in money-of-the-day[when?] prices. The Airport Authority estimates that the airport will reach its maximum runway capacity sometime around 2020 if no extra runway is added.

Option 2: Three-runway system

This plan will focus on adding a third runway to the north of the Chek Lap Kok, the existing island the airport is built on, by land reclamation, using deep cement mixing, of about 650 hectares (1,600 acres). Associated facilities, additional terminals, airfield and apron facilities, will be built as well, and, combined with the new runway, it is estimated that the airport would be able to handle a maximum of 620,000 flights per year (102 per hour, or about one flight every 36 seconds), and meet forecast annual passenger and cargo throughput of about 97 million and 8.9 million tonnes by 2030 respectively.

There are possible drawbacks. Development costs are a concern: although the proposal would increase the number of direct jobs associated with HKIA to 150,000 by 2030 and generate an ENPV of HK$912 billion (in 2009 dollars), the estimated cost is approximately $86.2 billion (2010) Hong Kong Dollars, or HK$141.5 billion (at money-of-the-day prices). There are also environmental and local noise pollution concerns.

On 20 March 2012, the Hong Kong Government adopted this option as the official expansion plan.

The third runway, with its own dedicated passenger concourse (T2 Concourse), was built parallel to the current two runways on reclaimed land directly north of the existing airport island. The third runway (referred as the North runway) began operations in July 2022, while the original North runway (re-designated as the Centre runway) was closed for reconfiguration and is expected to be completed by 2024, alongside other facilities of the Three-runway system project including the T2 expansion, new T2 Concourse, automatic people mover, and baggage handling system.

Airlines and destinations

Passenger

AirlinesDestinations
Aeroflot Moscow–Sheremetyevo
AirAsia Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur–International, Penang
AirAsia X Kuala Lumpur–International
Air Canada Vancouver
Air China Beijing–Capital, Chengdu–Tianfu, Chongqing, Dalian, Tianjin, Yinchuan
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Delhi
Air New Zealand Auckland
Air Niugini Port Moresby
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita (resumes 16 April 2024)
Asiana Airlines Seoul–Incheon
Bangkok Airways Koh Samui
Batik Air Malaysia Kuala Lumpur–International
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cambodia Angkor Air Phnom Penh
Cathay Pacific Amsterdam, Auckland, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Barcelona (resumes 17 June 2024), Beijing–Capital, Bengaluru, Boston, Brisbane, Cebu, Chengdu–Tianfu, Chennai, Chicago–O'Hare, Chongqing, Colombo–Bandaranaike, Delhi, Denpasar, Dhaka, Dubai–International, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo, Kaohsiung, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur–International, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madrid, Manchester, Manila, Melbourne, Milan–Malpensa, Mumbai, Nagoya–Centrair, Nanjing, New York–JFK, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Penang, Perth, Phnom Penh, Phuket, Qingdao, San Francisco, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Surabaya, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tel Aviv (suspended), Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xi'an, Zhengzhou, Zürich
Seasonal: Christchurch
Cebu Pacific Cebu, Clark, Manila
China Airlines Kaohsiung, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Eastern Airlines Beijing–Daxing, Hangzhou, Hefei, Hohhot, Kunming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Taiyuan (resumes 25 March 2024), Wuhan, Wuxi, Xi'an
China Southern Airlines Beijing–Daxing, Guiyang, Shenyang, Ürümqi (resumes 31 March 2024), Wuhan, Yiwu, Zhangjiajie
Emirates Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Manila
EVA Air Kaohsiung (begins 12 April 2024), Taipei–Taoyuan
Fiji Airways Nadi
Finnair Helsinki
Garuda Indonesia Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Greater Bay Airlines Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Manila, Osaka–Kansai, Seoul–Incheon, Singapore (begins 26 April 2024), Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Hainan Airlines Haikou
HK Express Bangkok–Don Mueang (begins 25 April 2024), Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Daxing, Busan, Chiang Mai, Da Nang, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Jeju, Kagoshima, Kaohsiung, Kumamoto (ends 31 March 2024), Manila, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nha Trang (ends 28 March 2024),[citation needed] Ningbo, Osaka–Kansai, Phuket, Seoul–Incheon, Taichung, Taipei–Taoyuan, Takamatsu, Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Hong Kong Airlines Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Beijing–Daxing, Chengdu–Tianfu, Chongqing, Datong (begins 11 April 2024), Denpasar, Dunhuang (begins 22 April 2024), Fukuoka, Haikou, Hangzhou, Hanoi, Kagoshima (resumes 31 March 2024), Kumamoto, Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Nanjing, Osaka–Kansai, Phuket, Saipan (resumes 28 April 2024), Sanya, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Ürümqi (begins 22 June 2024)
Seasonal: Hakodate, Malé, Yonago
IndiGo Delhi
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
Jeju Air Jeju, Seoul–Incheon
Jiangxi Air Nanchang
Juneyao Air Shanghai–Pudong
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Seoul–Incheon
Loong Air Hangzhou
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich (resumes 31 March 2024)
Malaysia Airlines Kuala Lumpur–International
MIAT Mongolian Airlines Ulaanbaatar
Nepal Airlines Kathmandu
Peach Osaka–Kansai
Philippine Airlines Manila
Philippines AirAsia Manila
Qantas Melbourne, Sydney
Qatar Airways Doha
Qingdao Airlines Huangshan (ends 31 March 2024), Qingdao, Zhangjiajie (begins 2 April 2024)
Ruili Airlines Nanning, Xishuangbanna (begins 31 March 2024)
Royal Air Philippines Clark (resumes 27 March 2024)
Charter: Caticlan
Royal Brunei Airlines Bandar Seri Begawan
Scoot Singapore
Shandong Airlines Jinan, Qingdao
Shanghai Airlines Shanghai–Hongqiao
Shenzhen Airlines Chengdu–Tianfu, Nantong, Quanzhou, Wuxi
Sichuan Airlines Chengdu–Tianfu
Singapore Airlines Singapore
Spring Airlines Shanghai–Pudong
Swiss International Air Lines Zürich
Thai AirAsia Bangkok–Don Mueang, Chiang Mai, Phuket
Thai Airways International Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
T'way Air Seoul–Incheon
United Airlines Los Angeles, San Francisco
VietJet Air Da Nang, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc
Vietnam Airlines Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City
Vistara Delhi
XiamenAir Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen

Cargo

AirlinesDestinationsRefs
AeroLogic Bengaluru, Leipzig/Halle, Singapore
Aerotranscargo Almaty, Astana, Dammam, Delhi, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Fujairah, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jeddah, London–Heathrow, Munich, Mumbai, Riyadh, Sharjah
Air France Cargo Bahrain, Dammam, Dubai–International, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air Hong Kong Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Cebu, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Manila, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Penang, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
AirBridgeCargo Almaty, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Krasnoyarsk, Moscow–Domodedovo, Moscow–Sheremetyevo, Moscow–Vnukovo, Singapore, Saint Petersburg, Yekaterinburg (all suspended)
ANA Cargo Nagoya–Centrair, Naha, Osaka–Kansai, Tokyo–Narita
Asiana Cargo Seoul–Incheon
Astral Aviation Aktobe, Delhi, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Johannesburg–O. R. Tambo, Mumbai, Nairobi–Jomo Kenyatta, Sharjah
ASL Airlines Belgium Dubai–International, Liège
Atlas Air Anchorage, Bahrain, Chicago–O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Delhi, Hanoi, Indianapolis, Karagandy, Leipzig/Halle, Los Angeles, Milan–Malpensa, Portland, Riyadh, Seoul–Incheon, Tokyo–Narita
CAL Cargo Air Lines Liège, Tel Aviv
Cargolux Abu Dhabi, Almaty, Amman–Queen Alia, Anchorage, Baku, Beirut, Budapest, Chicago–O'Hare, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Dammam, Doha, Dubai–International, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Karaganda, Komatsu, Kuwait City, London–Stansted, Los Angeles, Luxembourg City, New York–JFK, Riyadh, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Upington, Vienna
Cargolux Italia Almaty, Dubai–International, Milan–Malpensa, Osaka–Kansai
Cathay Cargo Amsterdam, Anchorage, Atlanta, Bengaluru, Calgary, Chengdu–Shuangliu, Chennai, Chicago–O'Hare, Chongqing, Colombo–Bandaranaike, Columbus, Dallas, Delhi, Dhaka, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Houston, Hyderabad, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Kolkata, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mexico City, Miami, Milan–Malpensa, Mumbai, New York–JFK, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Penang, Phnom Penh, Portland (OR), Riyadh, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita, Toowoomba, Toronto–Pearson, Xiamen, Zhengzhou
China Airlines Cargo Manila, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Qingdao, Shanghai–Hongqiao, Shanghai–Pudong
CMA CGM Air Cargo Paris-Charles de Gaulle
DHL Aviation Anchorage, Bahrain, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Cincinnati, Delhi, Dubai–International, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta, Leipzig/Halle, Los Angeles, Manila, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Penang, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Donghai Airlines Chengdu–Shuangliu, Shenzhen
Emirates SkyCargo Dubai–Al Maktoum, Melbourne, Singapore, Sydney
Ethiopian Cargo Addis Ababa, Chennai, Maastricht/Aachen
Etihad Cargo Abu Dhabi, Amsterdam, Chicago–O'Hare, Chittagong, Delhi, Dhaka
EVA Air Cargo Taipei–Taoyuan
Express Air Cargo Bengaluru, Sharjah, Tunis
FedEx Express Almaty, Anchorage, Delhi, Manila, Memphis, Osaka–Kansai, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Seoul–Incheon, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
Flexport Los Angeles
Garuda Cargo Jakarta–Soekarno-Hatta
Hong Kong Air Cargo Almaty, Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Chennai, Delhi, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Osaka–Kansai, Kuala Lumpur–International, Manila, Milan–Malpensa, Nanning, Phnom Penh, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan, Xiamen, Zhengzhou
IAG Cargo
operated by Qatar Airways Cargo
London–Stansted
IndiGo CarGo Kolkata
KLM Cargo Amsterdam, Chennai, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Kuwait City, Mumbai
Korean Air Cargo Seoul–Incheon
K-Mile Air Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Hanoi
Lufthansa Cargo Almaty, Bahrain, Bengaluru, Frankfurt, Leipzig/Halle
MASkargo Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Kuala Lumpur–International, Manila, Penang
MSC Air Cargo Dallas/Fort Worth
Nippon Cargo Airlines Tokyo–Narita
Polar Air Cargo Singapore
Qantas Freight Auckland, Cairns, Sydney
Qatar Airways Cargo Doha, Singapore, Tehran–Imam Khomeini
Raindo United Services Makassar
Saudia Cargo Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh
SF Airlines Ningbo, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Xiamen
Silk Way Airlines Baku
Singapore Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Seattle/Tacoma, Sharjah, Singapore
SpiceXpress Kolkata
Suparna Airlines Cargo Chengdu–Shuangliu, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Shanghai–Pudong, Tianjin, Zhengzhou
Transmile Air Services Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuala Lumpur–Subang
Tri-MG Intra Asia Airlines Cebu, Clark
Turkish Cargo Almaty, Bishkek, Delhi, Istanbul
ULS Cargo Bangkok–Suvarnabhumi, Beijing–Capital, Manila, Nagoya–Centrair, Osaka–Kansai, Penang, Seoul–Incheon, Shanghai–Pudong, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tokyo–Narita
UPS Airlines Anchorage, Clark, Cologne/Bonn, Dubai–International, Honolulu, London–Stansted, Louisville, Mumbai, Ontario (CA), Osaka–Kansai, Philadelphia, Sapporo–Chitose, Seoul–Incheon, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei–Taoyuan
Western Global Airlines Anchorage, Los Angeles, Seoul–Incheon

Statistics

Operations and Statistics
Year Passenger
movements
Airfreight
(tonnes)
Aircraft
movements
1998 28,631,000 1,628,700 163,200
1999 30,394,000 1,974,300 167,400
2000 33,374,000 2,240,600 181,900
2001 33,065,000 2,074,300 196,800
2002 34,313,000 1,637,797 206,700
2003 27,433,000 2,642,100 187,500
2004 37,142,000 3,093,900 237,300
2005 40,740,000 3,402,000 263,500
2006 44,443,000 3,580,000 280,000
2007 47,783,000 3,742,000 295,580
2008 48,582,000 3,627,000 301,000
2009 45,499,604 3,440,581 273,505
2010 50,410,819 4,112,416 306,535
2011 53,909,000 3,939,000 333,760
2012 56,057,751 4,062,261 352,000
2013 59,913,000 4,122,000 372,040
2014 63,367,000 4,376,000 390,955
2015 68,488,000 4,380,000 406,000
2016 70,502,000 4,521,000 411,530
2017 72,866,000 4,937,000 421,000
2018 74,672,000 5,121,000 428,000
2019 71,500,000 4,800,000 419,730
2020 8,836,000 4,468,000 161,000
2021 1,351,000 5,025,000 145,000
2022 5,653,000 4,200,000 138,700
Capacity
Passenger (current) 70,502,000
Passenger (ultimate) 70,000,000
Cargo (current) 4.5m tons
Cargo (ultimate) 7.4m tons
Apron (current) 96
Number of destinations
air 154
water 6
Annual passenger traffic at HKG airport. See Wikidata query.

Operations

The airport control tower and a taxiing Cathay Pacific Cargo Boeing 747-8F
The view of the airport from the control tower, with an EVA Air Boeing 747 on a nearby taxiway
The interior of the airport control tower

The airport is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, a statutory body wholly owned by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The airport has three parallel runways, all of which are 3,800 metres (12,500 ft) in length and 60 metres (200 ft) wide. The south runway has a Category II Precision Approach, while the centre runway has the higher Category IIIA rating, which allows pilots to land in only 200-metre (660 ft) visibility. The two runways have a capacity of over 60 aircraft movements an hour. The airport is upgrading ATC and runways so that they can handle 68 movements per hour. Normally, the centre runway (07C/25C; until 1 December 2021 the north runway 07L/25R) is used for landing passenger planes. The south runway (07R/25L) is used for passenger planes taking off and cargo flights due to its proximity to the cargo terminal. A third runway (designated 07L/25R) to their north has opened in mid-2022, while the Centre runway has been closed for upgrades. When all 3 runways are opened, it is estimated that the airport will be able to handle a maximum of 620,000 flights per year (102 per hour, or about one flight every 36 seconds).

There are 49 frontal stands at the main passenger concourse, 28 remote stands and 25 cargo stands. There are also five parking bays at the Northwest Concourse. A satellite concourse with 10 frontal stands for narrow body aircraft has been commissioned to the north of the main concourse at the end of 2009, bringing the total number of frontal stands at the airport to 59.

The airport was the busiest for passenger traffic in Asia in 2010, and the world's busiest airport for cargo traffic in 2010. In terms of international traffic, the airport is the third busiest for passenger traffic and the busiest for cargo since its operation in 1998. There are over 95 international airlines providing about 900 scheduled passenger and all-cargo flights each day between Hong Kong and some 160 destinations worldwide. About 76 percent of these flights are operated with wide-body jets. There is also an average of approximately 31 non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights each week.

The operation of scheduled air services to and from Hong Kong is facilitated by air services agreements between Hong Kong and other countries. Since the opening of HKIA, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has implemented a policy of progressive liberalisation of air services. Many low-cost airlines have started various regional routes to compete head-on with full-service carriers on trunk routes.

The airport's long term expansion opportunities are subject to variables. The airport opened its third runway in July 2022 as part of a HK$141.5 billion expansion project that would increase its land footprint by 50%. On the other hand, there exists only one airway between Hong Kong and mainland China, and this single route is often and easily backed up causing delays on both sides. In addition, China requires that aircraft flying the single air route between Hong Kong and the mainland must be at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet. Talks are underway to persuade the Chinese military to relax its airspace restriction in view of worsening air traffic congestion at the airport. Other than that, Hong Kong Airport Authority is co-operating with other airports in the area to relieve air traffic and in the future, Shenzhen may act as a regional airport while Hong Kong receives all the international flights.

Air traffic

The Government Flying Service provides short and long range search and rescue services, police support, medical evacuation and general purpose flights for the Government.

Passenger facilities

Despite its size, the passenger terminal was designed for convenience. The layout and signage, moving walkways and the automated people mover help passengers move through the building. The HKIA Automated People Mover, a driverless people mover system with 3 stations transports passengers between the check-in area and the gates. The trains travel at 62 kilometres per hour (39 mph). The airport also contains an IMAX theatre that has the largest screen in Hong Kong. The theatre is located in Terminal 2, level 6 and can seat 350 persons at a time.

Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre

Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre

The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (HKBAC) is located within the airport and has its own terminal and facilities separate from the public terminal. It provides services for executive aircraft and passengers, including a passenger lounge, private rooms and showers, business centre facilities, ground handling, baggage handling, fuelling, security, customs and flight planning. Designated spaces and hangars are also provided at the HKBAC for private aircraft. HKBAC has broken ground on a HK$400 million ($51 million) expansion. The project, which will double the airport's handling capacity for business jet movements, is expected to be completed in 2025.

Intermodal transportation hub

View of the airport and the surrounding complex in July 2023

To sustain the growth of passengers, the Airport Authority formulated a "push and pull through" strategy to expand its connections to new sources of passengers and cargo. This means adapting the network to the rapidly growing markets in China and in particular to the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). In 2003, a new Airport-Mainland Coach Station opened. The coach station has a 230-square-metre (2,500 sq ft) waiting lounge and sheltered bays for ten coaches. Many buses operate each day to transport passengers between HKIA and major cities in the Mainland.

The Coach Station was relocated to the ground floor (level 3) of Terminal 2 in 2007. The 36 bays at the new Coach Station allow cross-border coaches to make 320 trips a day carrying passengers between the airport and 90 cities and towns in the PRD. Local tour and hotel coaches also operate from T2. The coach station at T2 has shops and waiting lounges as well as a mainland coach service centre which gathers all operators together.

In late September 2003, the SkyPier high-speed ferry terminal opened. Passengers arriving at the SkyPier board buses to the terminal and arriving air passengers board ferries at the pier for their ride back to the PRD. Passengers travelling both directions can bypass custom and immigration formalities, which reduces transit time. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen, Macau and Humen (Dongguan) – were initially served. As of August 2007, SkyPier serves Shenzhen's Shekou and Fuyong, Dongguan's Humen, Macau, Zhongshan and Zhuhai. Passengers travelling from Shekou and Macau can complete airline check-in procedures with participating airlines before boarding the ferries and go straight to the boarding gate for the flight at HKIA.

In 2009, the permanent SkyPier Terminal opened. The permanent ferry terminal is equipped with four berths, but the terminal is designed to accommodate eight berths. Transfer desks and baggage handling facilities are included, and the terminal is directly connected to the airport automatic people mover system.

Baggage and cargo facilities

SuperTerminal 1
Asia Airfreight Terminal
DHL Central Asia Hub

Ramp handling services are provided by Hong Kong Airport Services Limited (HAS), Jardine Air Terminal Services Limited and SATS HK Limited. Their services include the handling of mail and passenger baggage, transportation of cargo, aerobridge operations and the operation of passenger stairways. The airport has an advanced baggage handling system (BHS), the main section of which is located in the basement level of the passenger terminal, and a separate remote transfer facility at the western end of the main concourse for the handling of tight connection transfer bags.

HKIA handles over five million tonnes of cargo annually. Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited operates one of the two air cargo terminals at the airport. Its headquarters, the 328,000-square-metre (3,530,000 sq ft) SuperTerminal 1, is the world's second largest stand-alone air cargo handling facility, after the opening of the West Cargo Handling Area of the Shanghai Pudong International Airport on 26 March 2008. The designed capacity is 2.6 million tonnes of freight a year. The second air cargo terminal is operated by Asia Airfreight Terminal Company Limited, and has a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes a year. DHL operates the DHL Central Asia Hub cargo facility which handles 35,000 parcels and 40,000 packages per hour. Hongkong Post operates the Air Mail Centre (AMC) and processes 700,000 packages per day. It is envisaged that HKIA's total air cargo capacity per annum will reach nine million tonnes ultimately.

Aircraft maintenance services

Both line and base maintenance services are undertaken by Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO), while China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) and Pan Asia Pacific Aviation Services Limited carry out line maintenance. Line maintenance services include routine servicing of aircraft performed during normal turnaround periods and regularly scheduled layover periods. Base maintenance covers all airframe maintenance services and for this HAECO has a three-bay hangar, which can accommodate up to three Boeing 747-400 aircraft and two Airbus A320 aircraft, and an adjoining support workshop.[citation needed] HAECO also has the world's largest mobile hangar, weighing over 400 tons.[citation needed] It can be used to enclose half of a wide-body aeroplane so that the whole facility can fully enclose four 747s when the mobile hangar is used.

On 29 May 2009, CASL opened its first aircraft maintenance hangar in the maintenance area of the airport. The new hangar occupies an area of about 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft) and can accommodate one wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft at the same time; the hangar also has an about 10,000-square-metre (110,000 sq ft) area in its annexe building. CASL specialises in Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 Next Generation series heavy maintenance.

Airport based ground services

The Air Traffic Control Complex (ATCX), located at the centre of the airfield, is the nerve centre of the entire air traffic control system. Some 370 air traffic controllers and supporting staff work around the clock to provide air traffic control services for the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR). At the Air Traffic Control Tower, controllers provide 24-hour aerodrome control services to aircraft operating at the airport. A backup Air Traffic Control Centre/Tower constructed to the north of the ATCX is available for operational use in the event normal services provided in the ATCX are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. Apart from serving as an operational backup, the facilities are also used for air traffic control training.

The Airport Meteorological Office (AMO) of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) provides weather services for the aviation community. The AMO issues alerts of low-level windshear and turbulence. Windshear detection is made using traditional doppler weather radars as well as the more effective doppler LIDAR, of which Hong Kong International Airport was the first to introduce. Doppler LIDAR systems use lasers to detect windshear and wind direction even when atmospheric conditions are too dry for Doppler radar to work.

Fire and rescue services

Rescue and fire fighting services within the airport are covered by the Airport Fire Contingent of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department. The contingent has 282 members, operating three fire stations and two rescue berths for 24-hour emergency calls. It is equipped with 14 fire appliances which can respond to incidents within two minutes in optimum conditions of visibility and surface conditions, satisfying the relevant recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organization. Two high capacity rescue boats, supported by eight speed boats, form the core of sea rescue operations. One ambulance is assigned at each of the airport fire stations.

Ground transport

The Airport is connected to inner Hong Kong by the Route 8 in Hong Kong North Lantau Highway on Lantau Island.

There is an automated people mover, operated by the Airport Authority and maintained by MTR Corporation, connecting the East Hall to the Midfield Concourse via West Hall and Terminal 2. It was extended to SkyPier in late 2009 and extended to Midfield Concourse in 2015.[citation needed]

Bus

Cross-boundary coach bus terminal located in terminal 2

Citybus (CityFlyer for Airport services), New Lantau Bus, Long Win Bus and Discovery Bay Transit Services (Permits required) operate more than 40 bus routes to the airport from various parts of Hong Kong, available at the Airport Ground Transportation Centre and Cheong Tat Road. The bus companies also offer more than 20 overnight "N" and "NA" Bus lines (a.k.a. Night services).

Passengers can also take bus route number S1 to the Tung Chung MTR station. From there they can board the MTR Tung Chung line which follows the same route as the MTR Airport Express Line to Central Station with cheaper fare but longer journey time.

There is bus service to Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Control Point, with services between Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong to Zhuhai, China and Macau. Coach services are also available to major cities and towns in Guangdong Province, China. such as Dongguan, Guangzhou and Shenzhen. And Also for HZMBus to Macau

Ferry

Skypier

Direct ferry services are available from the airport to various destinations throughout the Pearl River Delta in China and Macau via Skypier. Passengers using these services are treated as transit passengers and are not considered to have entered Hong Kong for immigration purposes. For this reason, access to the ferry terminal is before immigration in the airport for arriving passengers. Check-in services are available at these piers. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen Airport (Fuyong) and Humen (Dongguan) in China, and Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in Macau– were initially served, extending to Guangzhou and Zhongshan at the end of 2003. The Zhuhai service began on 10 July 2007 while a Nansha service started on 14 July 2009.

Rail

Airport Express, which connects the airport and the central business district of Central.
Airport Express connecting between the airport and the central business district of Central.
Airport Express – Airport station

The fastest service from the city to the airport is the Airport Express, which was a part of the Hong Kong Rail Network in Hong Kong. A dedicated rapid-speed rail link as part of the MTR rapid transit network. The line serves between Asia-World-Expo and Hong Kong (Central) Station makes intermediate stops at the following stations:

  1. Tsing Yi Station (Located in the northeastern Part of Tsing Yi Island, Kwai Tsing District, Tsing Yi [which is one of three Communes which form the Tsuen Wan New Town {the other two are Tsuen Wan and Kwai Chung}], this station mostly served passengers from the western part of the New Territories. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line. Connections are also available for taxis and public/private buses at the local Maritime Square)
  2. Kowloon Station (Located in the Yau Tsim Mong District on the western part of the Kowloon Peninsula, this station is the major transfer hub in the Kowloon Peninsula, with stunning landmarks such as West Kowloon Cultural District, the M+ Art Museum, Hong Kong Palace Museum, Avenue of Stars and many more. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line [and Tuen Ma Line (Formerly called the West Rail Line) in Austin Station] for passengers for the East Kowloon and the New Territories. Since Autumn 2018, the High Speed Rail Network Line operates in West Kowloon Station which connects to the National Rail Network of China. Connections are also available for taxis, MTR Shuttle Buses and public/private buses at Elements. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and currently suspended under further notice as of April 2023, in-town check-in services for major airlines were provided.
  3. Hong Kong Station, the terminus, is located at the northern coast of Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island. It takes approximately 24 minutes to reach the airport from Hong Kong Station. Transfers are available for the Tung Chung Line (and Island Line and Tsuen Wan Line at Central Station, where travellators link the two stations.) Connections are also available such as free MTR shuttle bus services between Airport Express stations and hotels in the area, and free transfers to and from other MTR lines with a valid Octopus card (which is not available to Single Ride Ticket users). Hong Kong Station also provides in-town check-in services for major airlines. (Passengers can ride one stop of the Island Line or Tsuen Wan Line to Admiralty Station, where transfers are available for the South Island Line [Opened on December 28, 2016, located on Platforms 5 and 6 {towards South Horizons}] and the East Rail Line [Opened on May 15, 2022, located on Platforms 7 {towards Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau Border Crossing Stations} and 8 {terminating platform}.])
  4. The Airport Express line originally terminated at Airport station, where trains open doors on both sides, allowing direct access to either Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. It was later extended to AsiaWorld–Expo station on 20 December 2005 to facilitate the opening of the nearby AsiaWorld–Expo. During events at the station some Tung Chung line trains, which largely share the same tracks as the Airport Express, serve this station instead of Tung Chung, but these trains do not stop by Airport station.

Taxi

The airport is served by all three different types of taxis, distinguished by their colour:

Accidents and incidents

The following are aviation accidents or incidents at the current HKIA (see accidents and incidents at the former HKIA at Kai Tak):

  • On 22 August 1999, China Airlines Flight 642 (an MD-11 operated by subsidiary Mandarin Airlines), which was landing at Hong Kong International Airport during Typhoon Sam after a flight from Bangkok International Airport (now Bangkok Don Mueang International Airport), rolled over and caught fire, coming to rest upside down beside the runway. Of the 315 passengers and crew on board, 3 people were killed and 219 were injured.
  • On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 from Surabaya Juanda International Airport to Hong Kong landed safely after both engines failed due to contaminated fuel. 57 passengers were injured. Its two pilots received the Polaris Award from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations for their heroism and airmanship.
  • On 11 August 2015, a French traveler died by suicide through jumping.
  • On September 2016, an airport delivery van crashed into left engine of KA691 from Hong Kong to Penang with 295 passengers and crew on board
  • On 4 October 2017, some cargo caught fire as it was being loaded onto an American Airlines plane. The authorities were able to contain the fire. The plane and an airport vehicle was damaged and one person was injured.
  • In April 2021, three cargo pallets waiting to be transferred onto a Hong Kong Air Cargo flight caught fire. Each pallet included Vivo smartphones destined for Bangkok. The airline banned shipments of Vivo phones and all shipments from two freight forwarding companies as a result.
  • On 21 July 2021, UPS Airlines Flight 5X003 suffered from an engine fire in the #1 engine shortly after take-off. The flight subsequently made a successful emergency landing on Runway 07L and was met by airport fire crews from the Hong Kong Fire Services Department Main Airport Station which extinguished the flames. Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the NTSB are currently investigating the incident.
  • On 20 December 2022, United Airlines Flight 2831 suffered a bird strike on takeoff which triggered a fire. The plane was ordered back and landed on Runway 07L and was met by airport fire crews who extinguished the flames. Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the NTSB are currently investigating the incident.

Accolades

  • Skytrax World's Best Airport for Dining (2017)[needs update]
Year Award Category Results Ref
2008 Airport Service Quality Awards
by Airports Council International
Best Airport Worldwide 3rd
2009
Best Airport in Asia-Pacific
Best Airport by Size (over 40 million passenger) Won
2010 Best Airport Worldwide 3rd
2011 4th

See also


This page was last updated at 2024-03-27 01:11 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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