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Hong Kong Airport

Written by Vivi Updated Mar. 20, 2023

The Hong Kong International Airport is the main airport that serves Hong Kong. Locals sometimes call it Chek Lap Kok Airport, since it is built on the island of Chek Lap Kok. It is now being used as a replacement for the old Kai Tak Airport, making it not just a passenger airport but also an important trans-shipment gateway in the mainland of china.

The HKIA, as it is now often called, is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, Dragonair, and Hong Kong Express Airways. It is also the cargo hubs for Air Hong Kong and UPS Airlines. It is also the focus city for many airlines including China Eastern Airlines and China Airlines. China Eastern Airlines currently has 18 flights to HKIA in a single day from 15 different destinations.

The HKIA is also commonly used as a stopover by United, Air India, and Virgin Atlantic for flights from Tokyo to Singapore, from India to Osaka and Seoul, and from Tokyo to Ho Chi Minh and Singapore, respectively.

Due to all its movements, the airport is considered as the 10th busiest airport in the world based on passenger traffic, and it has surpassed the Memphis International Airport as the world’s busiest airport based on cargo traffic.Hong Kong

Fast Facts

Terminals

The HKIA currently has one of the world’s largest passenger terminal buildings, which is one of two terminals operated by the airport. Aside from these, the airport has two concourses (North Satellite Concourse and Midfield Concourse) and three other office buildings within its territory. The office buildings are for Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, and Hong Kong Airlines.

Terminal 1, the third largest airport passenger terminal in the world, is the center of the activities in the airport since Terminal 2 does not have gates or arrival facilities and is only used for check-ins and processing.

Arrival Procedures

Immigration - Baggage Reclaim - Customs & Excise - Arrivals Hall

Immigration

Immigration: Prepare the following documents before reaching the Immigration Hall. For Hong Kong Residents, you should prepare Hong Kong, Identity Card. For Foreign Travellers, you should prepare a valid passport and a completed Arrival Card.

Baggage Reclaim

Please go ahead to the Baggage Reclaim Hall to collect your baggage. Find the right carousel assigned to your flight.

Customs & Excise

If you have goods to declare, you should use the red channel; if not, you should use the green channel. From July 16, 2018, passengers can bring currency or bearer negotiable instruments no more than HKD120,000.

Arrivals Hall

In Terminal 1, Large TV panels are available for passengers and greeters to see each other. You can also find a wide variety of food and shops in Arrival Hall.

Transportation to/from the City

You have a variety of public transport services to and from Hong Kong International Airport. Find the options below and choose the service that suits your needs. The construction of the Hong Kong International Airport already took into consideration the ground transportation leading to it. Thus, moving between the airport and the key areas in Hong Kong is very convenient and fairly inexpensive. 

Public Bus

The main bus services in Hong Kong, namely Citybus, Long Win Bus, Discovery Bay Transit Services, and New Lantao Bus, all provide a combined number of 25 different bus routes that travel between the airport and various areas in the city. The bus services are available at the Airport Ground Transportation Center and Cheong Tat Road. As for nighttime services, there are only 10 “N” bus services to serve passengers who arrive or need to depart at the 24-hour airport.

If you want faster transport, go for the 11 Airbus “A” buses, as these have fewer stops compared to the city buses. These travel from the airport to various locations on Hong Kong Island, New Territories, and Kowloon.

Passengers who find it more convenient to travel by MTR can also take the S1 Citybus, which will bring them to the Tung Chung MTR Station where they can board the Tung Chung line going to Central. This is considered as an inexpensive alternative to the MTR Airport Express line, which follows the same route.

Airport Express

You can also access the airport via the Airport Express, a rail link dedicated to transporting passengers directly to the airport. Passengers can board Tsing Yi, Kowloon, or Hong Kong, and can enjoy the fastest mode of transport going to the HKIA. In sum, the trip from Hong Kong city center to the airport takes only 24 minutes. Trains depart every 15-30 minutes from 05:54 to 00:48 daily. Click to book Hong Kong Airport Express Ticket

Passengers can also check-in for their flights in the Hong Kong and Kowloon Stations provided that their airlines support such services.

Hong Kong

Taxi

Compared with other transport services, taxis offer a door-to-door service to and from Hong Kong International Airport. The taxi station is located nearby the left-hand outside the Arrivals Hall.

There are three different types of taxis that serve the HKIA. The different types can be distinguished by their colors.

Inter-Terminal Transportation

It is also fast and easy to move from the HKIA terminals 1 and 2. The Airport Authority and the MTR Corporation operate an automated people mover that connects the two terminals. The people mover now also operates all the way to the SkyPier. Inter-City Transportation

Ferry

There are also direct ferry services that operate between the airport to various locations along the Pearl River Delta. These ferry services are available at the SkyPier. However, if you use these direct services, you are considered as a transit passenger, which means you do not need to go through Hong Kong immigration and are not considered to have entered Hong Kong.

The ferry services go directly to eight locations, namely:

HKIA to Macau trips operates from 10:00 to 22:00 (Hong Kong side) and 7:30 to 20:15 (Macau side). The 10:00 (Hong Kong) and the 16:30 (Macau) ferries will dock at the Macau Taipa Temporary Ferry Terminal instead of the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal. Tickets are HK$233 for the Economy class and HK$362 for the Super Class. Children below 2 years old and between 2 and 12 years old are subject to special rates.

Coach Services

Coach services are also available to facilitate travel between the airport and major towns in the Guanghong Province, including Dongguan, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. If you wish to book upon arrival, various service providers are available in the Arrivals Hall of Terminal 1 or the coach station of Terminal 2.

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