Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport (香港國際機場), popularly referred to as Chek Lap Kok Airport (赤鱲角機場 Pinyin: Chìliè Jiǎo, Red Perch Cape), is the international airport of Hong Kong. It is the replacement for the old Hong Kong International Airport, popularly known as Kai Tak International Airport.

History

The airport was built on an artificial island reclaimed from Chek Lap Kok, one of the islands that make up the airport's 12.48 km² platform. It is connected to the northern side of Lantau Island at the new town of Tung Chung.

Opened in 6 July 1998, it took six years and US $20 billion to build. The architects were Foster and Partners. For three to five months after its opening, it suffered various severe organizational, mechanical, and technical problems that almost crippled the airport. At one time, the government reopened the cargo terminal at Kai Tak Airport to handle freight traffic due to a breakdown at the new cargo terminal, named Super Terminal One (ST1). Luckily, things started to settle down after six months and the airport started to operate normally.

On 22 August 1999, Mandarin Airlines Flight 642, which was landing in Typhoon Sam at Hong Kong International Airport on a route from Bangkok International Airport in Bangkok to Hong Kong, rolled upside down on the runway. The plane came to rest upside down. 3 of the passengers died.

In 25 May 2002, China Airlines Flight 611 broke up in midflight on the way to Hong Kong International Airport from Chiang Kai Shek International Airport in Taipei, Taiwan. All 19 crew members and 206 passengers on board perished.

Operations

The airport is operated by the Airport Authority, a statutory body wholly owned by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It is the hub of Cathay Pacific, Dragonair (the flag carriers of Hong Kong) and Air Hong Kong. Its IATA Airport Code is HKG and the ICAO Airport Code is VHHH, both of which are the same codes that Kai Tak used.

The airport is the third busiest airport for passenger traffic in Asia, and the world's second busiest airport for cargo traffic in 2003. In terms of international traffic, the airport is the third busiest for passenger traffic and the busiest for cargo since its operation in 1998. It is popular with travellers — from 2001 to 2005 Hong Kong International Airport has been voted the world's best airport in an annual survey of several million passengers worldwide by Skytrax. In 2000, the airport also won an award as 'Asia/Pacific's leading airport' at the 7th World Travel Awards.

According to the Guinness World Records, the passenger terminal of the HKIA is the worlds largest building. The Airport Core Project is the most expensive airport project.

Customs and Immigration

Hong Kong has its own immigration policies and is a separate customs territory from mainland China. Travellers between Hong Kong and mainland China need to go through immigration and customs checks which means that flights between Hong Kong and mainland China are therefore treated as international flights and use international airports (e.g. Pudong but not Hongqiao in Shanghai).

Connections with Guangdong and Macao

• Coach service is available to major cities and towns in Guangdong, and to Macao.

• Ferry service is also available to various piers in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), for water-air transfer. Ferries passengers from PRD, like ordinary transit passengers between flights, do not have to enter Hong Kong through immigration.

• Services providers

City Check-in

In Hong Kong, you are able to check in as much as to a day before your departure. This is called "City Check-in". Check-in counters are available at both the Hong Kong Station and the Kowloon Station on the Airport Express Line. Many passengers check in approximately half a day earlier. Most airlines provide this service, but some do not. Check the following website for any changes. Departure Information

Transportation

Rail

The airport can be reached by the Airport Express, a dedicated high-speed rail link provided by MTR. It takes 23 minutes to reach the airport from Hong Kong Station which is located in Central, in the Central and Western district, via Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations.

Bus Terminus

Long Win Bus:

• A31 – To Discovery Park, Tsuen Wan
• A33 – To Fu Tai, Tuen Mun
• A41 – To Yu Chui Court, Sha Tin
• A41P – To Yiu On, Ma On Shan, Sha Tin
• A43 – To Luen Wo Hui, North District
• E32 – Kwai Fong MTR Station to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E33 – To Tuen Mun Central
• E34 – To Tin Shui Wai Town Centre
• E41 – Tai Po Tau, Tai Po to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E42 – Pok Hong, Sha Tin
• N30 – Tung Chung to Yuen Long (East)
• N42 – Tung Chung to Yiu On
• S1 – Circular route to Tung Chung
• S64 – Circular route from Yat Tung, Tung Chung

Citybus:

• A11 – To North Point Pier
• A12, P12 – To Siu Sai Wan (Island Resort)
• A21 – To Hung Hom Station
• A22 – To Lam Tin MTR Station
• E11 – Causeway Bay (Tin Hau) to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E21 – Island Harbour View (Tai Kok Tsui) to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier.
• E22 – Lam Tin (North) to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E22A – Po Lam, Tseung Kwan O to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E22P – Yau Tong to Chek Lap Kok Ferry Pier
• E23 – To Choi Hung, Wong Tai Sin
• N11 – To Causeway Bay (Moreton Terrace)
• N21 – To Tsim Sha Tsui Star Ferry Bus Terminus
• N23 – To Tsz Wan Shan (North), Wong Tai Sin
• N26 – Yau Tong to Tung Chung MTR Station
• N29 – Po Lam to Tung Chung MTR Station
• S1 – Circular route from Tung Chung
• S56 – Circular route from Tung Chung New Development Pier

Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited:

• DB02R – To Discovery Bay (24 hours)

New Lantao Bus:

• A35 – To Mui Wo

Ferries

• Ferries to Tuen Mun Pier.

Taxis

• Urban taxis (red taxis) serves the Airport with Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and parts of the new towns of Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O. (Urban taxis can reach entire Hong Kong except southern Lantau Island)

• New Territories taxis (green taxis) serves the New Territories except parts of the new towns of Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O.

• Lantau taxis (blue taxis) serves only the Lantau Island.

• See also Taxis of Hong Kong.

Check-in Aisles

Airline check-in at HKIA is divided into eight aisles as passengers enter the airport.

Aisle A

Aisle B

• CX – Cathay Pacific

Aisle C

• CX – Cathay Pacific
• VN – Vietnam Airlines

Aisle D

• AE – Mandarin Airlines
• CI – China Airlines
• LX – Swiss International Airlines
• MH – Malaysia Airlines
• MK – Air Mauritius
• N8 – CR Airways
• RA – Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation
• SA – South African Airways
• SQ – Singapore Airlines
• SU – Aeroflot Russian Airlines

Aisle E

• BG – Biman Bangladesh Airlines
• KE – Korean Air
• KQ – Kenya Airways
• LH – Lufthansa
• MH – Malaysia Airlines
• NG – Air Nippon
• SU – Aeroflot Russian Airlines
• TG – Thai Airways International
• VF – Valuair

Aisle F

• BI – Royal Brunei Airlines
• BR – EVA Airways
• CS – Continental Micronesia
• KA – Dragonair
• KL – KLM
• VS – Virgin Atlantic Airways

Aisle G

• 3K – Jetstar Asia
• 9I – Thai Sky
• AY – Finnair
• ET – Ethiopian Airlines
• GA – Garuda Indonesia
• JL – Japan Airlines
• NZ – Air New Zealand
• UA – United Airlines

Aisle H

• 9I – Thai Sky
• AC – Air Canada
• AF – Air France
• AI – Air India
• EK – Emirates
• LY – El Al Israel Airlines
• MF – Xiamen Airlines
• MU – China Eastern Airlines
• NW – Northwest Airlines
• OX – Orient Thai
• OZ – Asiana Airlines
• PK – Pakistan International Airlines
• PR – Philippine Airlines
• TK – Turkish Airlines
• UL – SriLankan Airlines

Aisle J

• 5J – Cebu Pacific
• 8M – MAI (Myanmar)
• AO – Australian Airlines
• BA – British Airways/British Asia Airways
• CA – Air China
• CO – Continental Airlines
• CZ – China Southern Airlines
• EK – Emirates
• GF – Gulf Air
• QF – Qantas Airways
• UN – Transaero

See also

• Hong Kong Government Flying Service, which operates from the airport, providing search and rescue services to Hong Kong and the South China Sea
• Transportation in Hong Kong
• List of buildings, sites and areas in Hong Kong
• Airport Authority
• Intermodal transport
• World's busiest airports by passenger
• World's busiest airports by cargo
• Hong Kong International Airport Services Ltd.
• Jardine Aviation Services

External links

• Hong Kong International Airport
• Hong Kong International Airport – The Civil Aviation Department Hong Kong
• Hong Kong International Airport real time flight information
• Hong Kong Airport Core Programme
• Air transport in Hong Kong – Trade Development Council