Hong Kong International Airport is looking to boost its capacity even further through a new three-runway system inaugurated yesterday, according to an official statement.
By operating three runways simultaneously, HKIA is hoping to lift its capacity by 50 percent, with the aim of carrying 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo each year by around 2035.
Work on the HK$141.5 billion (US$18.18 billion) megaproject began in August 2016 and involved the construction of seven key components, including a third 3,800-metre-long northern runway, 650 hectares of reclaimed land, a baggage handling system and the expansion of terminal 2.
While the third northern runway came into operation in 2022, Hong Kong’s airport continued to operate under a two-runway system as the now central (formerly northern) runway saw its operations suspended to allow for modification and the building of new facilities.
The airport, however, saw all three of its runways operating concurrently yesterday, with the inaugural flight to make use of the newly reopened central runway being Cathay Pacific’s community flight CX8333.
[See more: Hong Kong is positioning itself as the aviation hub of the Greater Bay Area]
An opening ceremony attended by senior government officials and aviation industry representatives was held yesterday to mark the milestone.
During his address, the head of Hong Kong’s Airport Authority highlighted the project’s importance to the airport’s future growth, noting that it “significantly enhances the overall capacity of the airport, further expanding our extensive air traffic network and consolidating our position as an international aviation hub.”
Meanwhile, the chief executive of Hong Kong, John Lee, described the airport as “an important gateway to the world for Hong Kong and the entire Greater Bay Area,” noting that the three-runway system offers “more options for global passenger and cargo flow into the mainland.”
While the plans to expand HKIA’s operating capacity are certainly ambitious, the airport has yet to see its traffic bounce back to pre-Covid 19 levels. According to the airport’s figures, 45.2 million passengers were processed between April 2023 and March 2024 – well under the 2019 rate of 60.9 million passengers.
The project itself has also been bogged down by environmental concerns, as well as a corruption scandal.
