Celebrating 20 Years of Achievements at HKIA and Investing to Build a Bright Future

Joyful laughter and cheers fill the air at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as it celebrates its 20th anniversary. Since it was relocated from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok in 1998, HKIA has played a pivotal role in supporting Hong Kong’s economic development while establishing itself as a leading international aviation hub.  

HKIA connects with over 220 destinations globally. As the world’s third busiest airport in terms of international passengers, HKIA served 73 million travellers in 2017. For eight consecutive years, HKIA is the world’s busiest in terms of cargo throughput in 2017, during which it also became the first ever in the world to have processed more than 5 million tonnes of cargo and airmail annually. The airport, with some 73,000 employees, is a major source of local employment.

HKIA marked its 20th anniversary this evening with a gala cocktail reception that saw about 1,000 guests from the airport community, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and stakeholders from different sectors joining the celebration. The event also featured an exhibition that showcased HKIA’s accomplishments over the past 20 years as well as the latest development at the airport.

Speaking at the cocktail reception, Carrie Lam, Chief Executive of HKSAR said, "HKIA is among our most important infrastructure. With the construction of the Three-runway System (3RS), HKIA will help ensure that Hong Kong will continue to be one of the world’s major aviation hubs amid the vast promise of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area.”

Jack So, Chairman of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA), remarked, “I would like to thank my colleagues, past and present, for their great contribution. In the past 20 years, our passenger numbers have grown from some 20 million to over 73 million. Cargo throughput have tripled to 5 million tonnes and we have won many awards as the world’s best. We have had 20 glorious years of achievements and we are determined to continue the success story in the next 20 years and beyond.”

Another highlight of the celebrations was the flash mob dance performance in the Terminal 1 Arrivals Hall during daytime. More than 500 staff members from different airport companies emerged to stage a 10-minute dance performance, to the surprise and delight of travellers, while demonstrating the vitality of the airport community. As part of the celebrations, cupcakes were presented to passengers. 

Committed to providing the best experience for global travellers, HKIA has been continuously investing in various developments over the past 20 years, including the Midfield Concourse with 20 extra parking stands, which have boosted the airport’s handling capacity.

The 3RS has been progressing well since construction commenced in August 2016. The completion of the project will see the provision of a new runway and associated taxiways, a new Third Runway Passenger Building with 57 parking positions, a new Automated People Mover system and a revamped Terminal 2. Upon commissioning, HKIA is expected to handle around 100 million passengers and 9 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030.

To reinforce HKIA’s leading position in air cargo, expansion of facilities is underway to capture the potential of rapidly growing business segments such as temperature-sensitive cargo and e-commerce shipments. A premium logistics centre is scheduled to commence operation in 2023, and will secure Hong Kong’s position as the logistics hub in Asia serving the fast-going global e-commerce business. 

On the other hand, SKYCITY, an integrated development with retail, entertainment and dining facilities, hotels and offices, is set to transform the airport into an iconic destination in itself. The first new hotel in SKYCITY is scheduled to open in year 2020 to 2021.

The Hong Kong International Aviation Academy, established by the AA, aims to nurture talent for the aviation industry and establish Hong Kong as a regional civil aviation training hub by providing educational programmes and practical hands-on experience. Courses started in April 2017 and the Academy has since offered over 200 courses to more than 7,400 participants.

HKIA will also continue to leverage technology, including biometrics, augmented reality, robotics and automation, and all other internet-enabled functions, to create a streamlined and hassle-free journey for passengers.

Contact:

media@hkairport.com