HONG KONG: THE FACTS
Civil Aviation
The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) at north Lantau, which opened for commercial operations in 1998, is a vital component of Hong Kong’s economy, serving both tourism and commerce. Its strategic position in Asia has made it an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway to other Chinese cities.
The airport has two runways and operates around-the-clock. In 2013, the airport handled about 59.9 million passengers and 4.12 million tonnes of cargo. The airport has been further developed in stages to cater for increasing air traffic demand. The Apron Expansion which includes the construction of 28 parking stands has commenced and is targeted for completion by 2014. Construction works for Midfield Development was started in 2011 and the project is expected to be completed in end-2015. The development includes a new Midfield Concourse with 20 parking stands, a new cross-field taxiway and the extension of the existing automated people mover (APM) to the Midfield Concourse.
Administration: There are over 100 airlines operating about 1 100 passenger and cargo flights every day; 1 050 of which are scheduled passenger and all-cargo flights between Hong Kong and around 180 destinations worldwide, including about 45 mainland cities. There are also about 350 non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights each week. About 65 per cent of these flights are opeated with wide-bodied jets.
The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) is responsible for the provision of air traffic control services, certification of Hong Kong registered aircraft, monitoring of airlines on their compliance with bilateral Air Services Agreements, the regulation of general civil aviation activities and overseeing the safety and security of airport operations. The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is required to ensure the operations of the HKIA comply with the safety and security requirements of CAD in order to obtain an Aerodrome Licence from CAD for operating the Airport.
Runways and Parking Aprons: The south and the north runways are both 3 800 metres in length and 60 metres wide enabling them to cater to the new A380 aircraft. The south runway has been given a Category II Precision Approach, while the north runway has the higher Category IIIA rating, which allows pilots to land in only 200-metre visibility. It is planned the handling capacity of the two runways will increase to 68 aircraft movements an hour by 2015.
At present there are 59 frontal stands, 27 remote stands and 43 cargo stands. Among them, six frontal stands are capable of accommodating the A380. With the phased completion of the HKIA West Apron Development in 2013/14, the aircraft handling capability of the HKIA would further increase.
Passenger Facilities: The HKIA is one of the most accessible in operation today. Despite its size, the passenger terminals are designed for maximum convenience. A simple layout and effective signage, moving walkways and the automated people mover allow quick and easy movement throughout the buildings. Facilities for the disabled are in keeping with international standards. The airport is also served by a complete transport system operational round-the-clock. The fully integrated ground transportation centre is conveniently located adjacent to the passenger terminals. It provides immediate access to and from the airport express train as well as other public transport services such as buses, coaches, hotel limousines and taxis.
Baggage and Ramp Handling: Quality ramp handling services are provided by Hong Kong Airport Services Limited, Jardine Air Terminal Services Limited, and SATS Hong Kong Limited. Their services include 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 handling of tight connection transfer bags. The BHS processes departure, arrival and transfer bags and utilises a conveyor of more than 34 kilometres long. Bar coding and RFID scanners read the standard International Air Transport Association (IATA) baggage labels and route bags to their destinations. Majority of the arrival bags are conveyed to 12 reclaim carousels within 20 to 40 minutes from aircraft landing.
Air Cargo: HKIA handled 4.12 million tonnes of cargo in 2013. The airport currently has five first-tier cargo operators. The Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited operates the SuperTerminal 1, one of the world’s largest
