Airport Guide

History of Hong Kong International Airport

Constructed in the 1990s from reclaimed land, the artificial island upon which Hong Kong International Airport sits added around one per cent to the total area of the province and has been named as one of the top ten engineering projects of all time.

The airport was officially opened in 1998, with the arrival of a Cathay Pacific flight from Rome, though it then went on to experience several months of teething troubles, with a number of mechanical and organisational problems frustrating tens of thousands of passengers. Since then, it has become one of the busiest and most efficient airports in the world, benefiting from the construction of a second terminal in 2007, which also boasts a SkyPlaza.

However, the development has not finished, and plans are in place for an ambitious SkyCity, which will boast a number of top hotels and even allow travellers to enjoy a round of golf before jetting off.

Travelling to Hong Kong International Airport

Not surprisingly for one of the most futuristic cities on the planet, transportation links between the centre of Hong Kong and the airport are impressive to say the least.

By far the best means of travelling between the two is the Airport Express rail link, which connects Hong Kong central station with both terminals and also boasts the advantage of allowing passengers to check in for their flights and collect e-tickets up to a day before, depending upon which airline they are flying with.

Slower but cheaper, there are also numerous buses serving the airport, many of which are capable of handling large amounts of luggage. One advantage of this mode of transport is that it offers more stops within the Hong Kong suburbs. There are also regular coach services which serve several other Chinese ports and cities, including Macau, Skehou, Humen, Guangzhou and Zhongshan.

Ferry services also operate between the airport and the nearby ports, though passengers should be aware that anyone entering or flying from Hong Kong this way are treated as in transit and not deemed to have entered Hong Kong itself and will therefore be required to go through the usual immigration processes.

Airlines Flying from Hong Kong International

Hong Kong's flagship carrier dominates the tarmac at its international airport, with its luxurious fellt offering long-haul international flights to dozens of destinations across the rest of Asia, as well as to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East, South Africa and North America.
Supplementing these international services, the airline's subsidiary Dragonair also operates low-cost services across China, as well as to several cities in nearby Japan.

Despite its name, Hong Kong Airlines is small in comparison, flying to just Korea and Thailand, as well as within China itself.

Among the numerous international airlines flying in and out of Hong Kong are Aeroflot, British Airways, Air France, Kenya Airways, Northwest Airlines, Qantas, Swiss International and Virgin Atlantic.

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Another article in this series is on London Heathrow Airport or you could use our search for more help