Hong Kong International Airport's three-runway system will start operating on Nov 28, and is expected to serve 120 million passengers annually and further strengthen the city’s position as a leading international aviation hub.
All three runways at the airport will be operational when the three-runway system officially opens and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has received its new airport license, the AAHK announced on Tuesday.
The three runways are expected to handle 120 million passengers and 10 million metric tons of cargo each year. This marks a substantial increase over the last fiscal year, when approximately 45 million passengers and 4.5 million tons of cargo were handled by the airport.
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During the opening ceremony of the inaugural Super Terminal Expo — a high-level expo focusing on the development of transportation infrastructure — Deputy Financial Secretary Michael Wong Wai-lun said the extra capacity is expected to bring substantial benefits, and will reinforce Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.
Wong said that the AAHK is actively expanding its aviation network to overseas regions and is collaborating with the Chinese mainland to improve its cargo transshipment service. He said he believes many airlines will take advantage of the airport’s new three-runway system to launch new services and expand existing services.
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The AAHK said it expects to obtain its new airport license this month, which will cover the operation of the existing south runway, north runway, reconfigured center runway, taxiways, and supporting facilities.
The new north runway was officially commissioned in November 2022, and the center runway was temporarily closed in tandem for its reconfiguration. The airport has continued to operate with two runways.
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Following the successful test flights using the center runway in September this year, the AAHK is moving ahead with its preparations for operating the three-runway system, which has included conducting an aircraft crash and rescue exercise on the center runway in the early hours of Oct 15.
The AAHK will also collaborate with business partners to gradually open the expanded Terminal 2 starting from the end of 2025.
