Hong Kong International Airport

Hong Kong International Airport 香港國際機場
IATA: HKG - ICAO: VHHH
Summary <tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Airport type</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Public</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Operator</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Airport Authority</td></tr><tr><th colspan="2" align="left" valign="top">Serves</th><td colspan="2" valign="top">Hong Kong</td></tr>
Elevation AMSL		28 ft (9 m)
Coordinates		22°18′32″N, 113°54′52″E
Runways
Direction	Length		Surface
	ft	m
07R/25L	12,467	3,800	Asphalt
07L/25R	12,467	3,800	Asphalt

Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG, ICAO: VHHH) (Chinese: 香港國際機場, Mandarin pinyin: Xiānggǎng Guójì Jīchǎng, Cantonese jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 gwok3 zai3 gei1 coeng4) is the principal airport in Hong Kong. It is colloqially known as Chek Lap Kok Airport (Chinese: 赤鱲角機場, Mandarin pinyin: Chìliè Jiǎo Jīchǎng, Cantonese jyutping: cek3 laap6 gok3 gei1 coeng4), due to the fact that it was built on the island of Chek Lap Kok by land reclamation.

It opened for commercial operations in 1998, and is an important regional trans-shipment centre, passenger hub and gateway for destinations in mainland China, East Asia and Southeast Asia. Despite its relatively short history, the airport has won several notable international "Best Airport" awards, although losing out to Singapore Changi Airport in the Skytrax best airport award in 2006.

The airport operates around-the-clock and is capable of handling 45 million passengers and three million tonnes of cargo a year. It is the primary hub for Cathay Pacific and Dragonair, along with several other smaller airlines, including Hong Kong Express, Hong Kong Air, Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and Air Hong Kong.

History

The interior of the Hong Kong International Airport

A replica of the "Spirit of Sha Tin" displayed at the Hong Kong International Airport in Chek Lap Kok.

A view of the airport from the air.

Map showing airport location (in yellow) on the north shore of Lantau Island

See also: Aviation history of Hong Kong

The airport was built on a largely artificial island reclaimed from Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau. The two former islands that were levelled comprise about 25% of the surface area of the airport's 12.48 km² platform. It is connected to the northern side of Lantau Island near the historic village of Tung Chung, now expanded into a new town. Land reclamation for the airport added nearly 1% to the entirety of Hong Kong's surface area. It replaced the former Hong Kong International Airport (popularly known by its former name Kai Tak Airport), which was located in the Kowloon City area with a single runway extending into Kowloon Bay close to the urban built-up areas.^[1]

Construction of the new airport was only part of the Airport Core Programme, which also involved construction of new road and rail links to the airport, with associated bridges and tunnels, and major land reclamation projects on both Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon. The project is the most expensive airport project, according to Guinness World Records. Construction of the new airport was voted as one of the Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century at the ConExpo conference in 1999.^[2]

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.

SkyCity is currently being built directly across from the airport. It currently includes the AsiaWorld-Expo and the SkyPier. Planned for development is a golf course, Marriott hotel, and business centre. ^[3]

Operations

The airport is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, a statutory body wholly owned by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. 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, and the regulation of general civil aviation activities.

The airport has two parallel runways, both of which are 3800 metres in length and 60 metres wide, enabling them to cater to the next generation of 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. The two runways have an ultimate capacity of over 60 aircraft movements an hour. At present there are 49 frontal stands, 28 remote stands and 25 cargo stands. Five parking bays at the Northwest Concourse are already capable of accommodating the arrivals of the next generation of aircraft.

The airport is the third busiest airport for passenger traffic in Asia in 2005, and the world's second busiest airport for cargo traffic in 2005. In terms of international traffic, the airport is the third busiest for passenger traffic and the busiest for cargo since its operation in 1998. There are some 80 international airlines providing about 750 scheduled passenger and all-cargo flights each day between Hong Kong and some 140 destinations worldwide. About 76 percent of these flights are operated with wide-bodied jets. There are also an average of approximately 31 non-scheduled passenger and cargo flights each week.

The operation of scheduled air services to and from Hong Kong is facilitated by air services agreements between Hong Kong and other countries. Since the opening of HKIA, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has implemented a policy of progressive liberalisation of air services with the intention of promoting consumer choice and competition.

Airlines based at HKIA

Several airlines are based at Hong Kong International Airport:

• Cathay Pacific Airways Limited operates a mixed Airbus and Boeing all-widebody fleet of one hundred aircraft, providing scheduled services to the rest of Asia, Australia, New Zealand, the Middle East, Europe, South Africa and North America.
  • Dragonair operates some 35 aircraft, providing scheduled passenger services in the region, and scheduled all-cargo services to Shanghai, Xiamen, Taiwan, Japan, the Middle East and Europe.
• Hong Kong Express operates fixed-wing aircraft on scheduled services to Hangzhou, Ningbo, Nanjing, Chongqing and Chiang Mai as well as charter services to Tai Chung in Taiwan and Laoag in the Philippines. Hong Kong Express's HeliExpress division operates scheduled helicopter services between Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, together with local passenger charters and aerial works. To be acquired by Hong Kong Air by end 2006.
• Air Hong Kong Limited operates scheduled all-cargo services between Hong Kong and Japan, Korea, Thailand, and Singapore.
• Hong Kong Air, formerly CR Airways Limited until 30 September 2006 operates scheduled passenger services Korea, Thailand, and mainland China. It will fully acquire Hong Kong Express by end 2006.
• Oasis Hong Kong Airlines operates scheduled passenger services between Hong Kong and London-Gatwick.And Oasis is the first long-haul passenger airline to adopt a budget airline model in the world.
• Metrojet Limited and Jet Aviation Business Jets (Hong Kong) Limited operate non-scheduled passenger services in the region.
• Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited operates local and cross-border helicopter charters and lifting and construction works.

Recreational flying in Hong Kong is catered for by the Hong Kong Aviation Club, which undertakes flying training for private pilots and provides facilities for private owners.

The Government Flying Service provides short and long range search and rescue services, police support, medical evacuation and general purpose flights for the Government.

Passenger facilities

HKIA Departures Hall entrance

The airport is one of the most accessible in operation today. Despite its size, the passenger terminal is designed for maximum convenience. A simple layout and effective signage, moving walkways and the automated people mover (Destinations: West Hall <-> Southwest <-> Northwest at 62 km/h every 1.5 minutes carrying 304 passengers every APM from opening and closing time of 0600 to 2400) allow quick and easy movementthroughout the building. Facilities for the disabled are in place to meet world requirements. The airport is also served by a complete transport system which was operational from the very beginning. The fully integrated ground transportation centre was designed together with the passenger terminal. 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. The airport also has a large number of restaurants and shops, catering to the different needs of passengers. It is largely a non-smoking area, apart from designated smoking rooms. Even the lavatories are probably among the world's cleanest and best maintained.

According to its website, the passenger terminal of the HKIA is the world's largest airport terminal building, with a total gross floor area of 570,000 m²(it was 550,000 m² before the expansion of the East Hall). Despite claims from the owner of the new Bangkok airport, Suvarnabhumi Airport, that their new passenger terminal is the world's largest at 563,000 m². HKIA still maintains at number one with 570,000 m² when the airport authority completed expanding within the existing terminal in 2004 from 550,000 m² to make room for the greatly expanded shopping mall, SkyMart, which is 39,000 sq m itself at the East Hall area. The 570,000 m² figure does not include the new 140,000 m² Passenger Terminal 2, SkyPlaza, that will be completed by the end of 2006.

The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre (BAC) is located within the confines of the airport and has its own terminal and facilities separate from the public terminal. It provides a full range of services for executive aircraft and passengers, including passenger lounge, private rooms and showers, business centre facilities, ground handling, baggage handling, fuelling, security, customs and flight planning. Designated spaces and hangarage are also provided at the BAC for private aircraft.

Intermodal transportation hub

Airport business is the management of flow: the flow of passengers, cargo and information. To sustain the growth of flows, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) formulated a “push and pull through” strategy to expand its connections to new sources of passengers and cargo. This means adapting the network to the rapidly-growing markets in Mainland China and in particular to the Pearl River Delta region (PRD). 2003 marked a major improvement in connection to the PRD region: the opening of a new Airport-Mainland Coach Station as well as the SkyPier airport ferry terminal. The coach station features a 230 m² waiting lounge and sheltered bays for ten coaches. The dedicated coach terminal provides a comfortable environment for passengers travelling between HKIA and different cities in PRD. Some 100 buses are operating per day to transport passengers between HKIA and some 18 destinations in PRD. HKIA’s network to the Mainland is also further strengthened by the opening of SkyPier in late September 2003, offering millions in the PRD direct access to the airport. Passengers coming to SkyPier by high-speed ferries will board bonded buses for onward flights while arriving air passengers can board ferries at the pier for their journeys back to PRD. Passengers travelling both directions can bypass custom and immigration formalities, which halves the current four hour transit time. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen, Macau and Humen (Dongguan) – were initially served, extending to Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Zhongshan at the end of 2003. The provision of crossboundary coach and ferry services has transformed HKIA into a truly inter-modal transportation hub combining air, sea and land transport. These are also significant steps forward in AA’s integration with the Mainland Chinese market.

Baggage and Ramp Handling

Ramp handling services are provided by Hong Kong Airport Services Limited (HAS), Jardine Air Terminal Services Limited, and Menzies Aviation Group (Hong Kong) Limited. Their services include the 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 that is more than 24 kilometres long. Bar coding scanners read the standard International Air Transport Association (IATA) baggage labels and route bags to their destinations. The majority of the arrival bags are conveyed to 12 reclaim carousels within four minutes from off-loading or 20 minutes from aircraft landing.

Air cargo

HKIA is capable of handling three million tonnes of cargo annually. Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited operates one of the two air cargo terminals at the airport. Its headquarters, the 270,000 m² SuperTerminal 1, is the world’s largest stand-alone air cargo handling facility, with a designed capacity of 2.6 million tonnes of freight a year. The second air cargo terminal is operated by Asia Airfreight Terminal Company Limited, and currently has a capacity of 0.4 million tonnes a year. It is envisaged that HKIA’s total air cargo capacity per annum will reach nine million tonnes ultimately.

Aircraft maintenance services

Both line and base maintenance services are undertaken by Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO), while China Aircraft Services Limited and Pan Asia Pacific Aviation Services Limited carry out line maintenance. Line maintenance services include routine servicing of aircraft performed during normal turnaround periods and regularly scheduled layover periods. Base maintenance covers all airframe maintenance services and, for this, HAECO has a three-bay hangar, which can accommodate up to three Boeing B747-400 aircraft and two Airbus A320 aircraft, and an adjoining support workshop. HAECO also has the world's largest mobile hangar, weighing over 400 tons. It can be used to enclose half of a wide-body airplane, so that the whole facility can fully enclose four 747s when the mobile hangar is used. A new two-bay hangar that locates next to the current one will be in operation by the end of 2006.

Airport based ground services

The Air Traffic Control Complex (ATCX), located at the centre of the airfield, is the nerve centre of the entire air traffic control system. Some 370 air traffic controllers and supporting staff work around the clock to provide air traffic control services for the safe and efficient flow of aircraft movements within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR). At the Air Traffic Control Tower, controllers provide 24-hour aerodrome control services to aircraft operating at the airport. A Backup Air Traffic Control Centre/Tower constructed to the north of the ATCX is available for operational use in the event normal services provided in the ATCX are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances. Apart from serving as an operational backup, the facilities are also used for air traffic control training.

To comply with the Global Implementation Plan, the Civil Aviation Department plans to introduce satellite based Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems to enhance flight safety and efficiency as well as to maintain Hong Kong’s status as a centre of international and regional aviation. The project will take 15 years and owing to the complexities involved, extensive studies and trials are being conducted before the new technologies are to be fully adopted. Currently, some of new services, including Digital-Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS), Digital-Meteorological Information for Aircraft in Flight (D-VOLMET) and delivery of Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) over data links, are provided at HKIA to enhance the operational efficiency of both pilots and air traffic controllers.

The Airport Meteorological Office (AMO) of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) provides weather services for the aviation community in accordance with the standards and recommended practices of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. The AMO makes routine and special weather observations and provides fixed-time aerodrome forecasts and landing forecasts for the HKIA. It issues aerodrome warnings on adverse weather for protection of aerodrome facilities and aircraft on the ground. It also issues significant weather information on thunderstorms, tropical cyclones, turbulence, icing, and other hazardous weather which may affect aviation safety in the area within which Hong Kong is responsible for the provision of air traffic services. To enhance the safety of aircraft landing and taking off from HKIA, the AMO issues alerts of low-level windshear and turbulence. For service delivery, the HKO operates a web-based information service through which airline companies can retrieve the latest meteorological information and flight documentation, including weather forecasts for departure, destination and alternate aerodromes, forecast charts of en-route significant weather, wind and temperature data, as well as weather radar and satellite images.

Rescue and fire fighting services within the airport are covered by the Airport Fire Contingent of the Hong Kong Fire Services Department. The contingent has a strength of 282 uniformed members, operating two fire stations and two rescue berths for 24-hour emergency calls. It is equipped with 14 fire appliances which can respond to incidents within two minutes in optimum conditions of visibility and surface conditions, satisfying the relevant recommendation of the International Civil Aviation Organisation. Two high capacity rescue boats, supported by eight speed boats, form the core of sea rescue operations.

Airlines and destinations

HKIA Check-in area

• Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
• Air Canada (Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver)
• Air China (Beijing, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Guiyang, Hangzhou, Tianjin)
• Air France (Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
• Air India (Bangkok, Delhi, Mumbai, Osaka-Kansai, Seoul-Incheon)
• Air Mauritius (Mauritius)
• Air New Zealand (Auckland, London-Heathrow)
• Air Niugini (Manila, Port Moresby)
• All Nippon Airways (Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
• Asiana Airlines (Seoul-Incheon)
• Bangkok Airways (Samui)
  • Siem Reap Airways (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap)
• Biman Bangladesh Airlines (Dhaka)
• British Airways (London-Heathrow)
• Cathay Pacific (Adelaide, Amsterdam, Auckland, Bahrain, Bangkok, Beijing, Brisbane, Cairns, Cebu, Colombo, Delhi, Denpasar, Dubai, Frankfurt, Fukuoka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Nagoya, New York-JFK, Osaka-Kansai, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Penang, Perth, Riyadh, Rome-Fiumicino, San Francisco, Sapporo-Chitose, Seoul-Incheon, Shanghai-Pudong, Singapore, Surabaya, Sydney, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Toronto-Pearson, Vancouver, Xiamen)
  • Dragonair (Beijing, Busan [begins January 19, 2007], Changsha, Chengdu, Chongqing, Dalian, Dhaka, Fuzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Kaohsiung, Kota Kinabalu, Kunming, Nanjing, Ningbo, Phnom Penh, Phuket [begins December 15, 2006], Qingdao, Sanya, Shanghai-Pudong, Shenyang, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan, Tokyo-Narita, Wuhan, Xiamen, Xian)
• Cebu Pacific (Cebu, Manila)
• China Airlines (Bangkok, Jakarta, Kaohsiung, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
  • Mandarin Airlines (Kaohsiung, Taichung-ChingChuanKang)
• China Eastern Airlines (Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Hefei, Jinan, Kunming, Nanchang, Nanjing, Ningbo, Qingdao, Shanghai-Pudong, Shijiazhuang, Tunxi, Wenzhou, Wuxi, Xian, Yantai)
• China Southern Airlines (Beijing, Changchun, Changsha, Dalian, Guangzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Harbin, Kunming, Meixian, Nanning, Sanya, Shantou, Shenyang, Urumqi, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xiamen, Zhanjiang, Zhengzhou)
• Continental Airlines (Newark)
  • Continental Airlines operated by Continental Micronesia (Guam)
• El Al (Tel Aviv)
• Emirates (Bangkok, Dubai)
• Ethiopian Airlines (Addis Ababa, Bangkok)
• EVA Air (Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• Finnair (Bangkok, Helsinki)
• Garuda Indonesia (Jakarta)
• Gulf Air (Bahrain, Bangkok)
• Hong Kong Air (Angeles City [begins December 10, 2006], Changsha, Daegu, Fuzhou [begins December 15, 2006], Guilin, Haikou, Kunming, Nanning, Phuket, Sanya, Siem Reap, Tianjin)
• Hong Kong Express (Chengdu, Chiang Mai, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Laoag, Ningbo, Okinawa, Taichung-ChingChuanKang)
• Japan Airlines (Osaka-Kansai, Tokyo-Narita)
• Jetstar Asia Airways (Singapore)
• Kenya Airways (Bangkok, Nairobi)
• KLM Royal Dutch Airlines (Amsterdam)
• Korean Air (Busan, Seoul-Incheon)
• Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
• Malaysia Airlines (Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur, Kuching)
• Northwest Airlines (Los Angeles, Tokyo-Narita)
• Oasis Hong Kong Airlines (London-Gatwick)
• Orient Thai Airlines (Bangkok, Phuket)
• Pakistan International Airlines (Bangkok, Islamabad, Karachi)
• Philippine Airlines (Manila)
• Qantas (Brisbane, London-Heathrow, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney)
• Qatar Airways (Doha)
• Royal Brunei (Bendar Seri Begawan)
• Royal Nepal Airlines (Kathmandu)
• Saudi Arabian Airlines (Manila, Riyadh)
• Shandong Airlines (Yantai)
• Shanghai Airlines (Shanghai-Pudong)
• Sichuan Airlines (Chengdu, Chongqing)
• Siem Reap Airways (Phnom Penh, Siem Reap)
• Singapore Airlines (San Francisco, Singapore)
• South African Airways (Johannesburg)
• SriLankan Airlines (Bangkok, Colombo)
• Swiss International Air Lines (Zürich)
• Thai Airways International (Bangkok, Phuket, Seoul-Incheon, Taipei-Taiwan Taoyuan)
• Turkish Airlines (Istanbul-Atatürk)
• United Airlines (Chicago-O'Hare, Ho Chi Minh City, San Francisco, Singapore, Tokyo-Narita)
• Vietnam Airlines (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City)
• Virgin Atlantic Airways (London-Heathrow, Sydney)
• Xiamen Airlines (Fuzhou, Wuyishan, Xiamen)

Previous Airlines and destinations

• Air China (Lhasa)
• Air India (Chennai)
• Air Nauru (Manila, Nauru)
• Alitalia (Milan-Malpensa, Rome-Fiumicino)
• Ansett Australia (bankruptcy) (Melbourne, Sydney)
• Canadian Airlines International (bankruptcy and subsequent absorption into Air Canada) (to Bangkok, Manila, Vancouver)
• Cathay Pacific (Damman, Kaohsiung, Istanbul, Manchester, Stockholm-Arlanda, Zürich)
  • Dragonair (Hiroshima, Kagoshima, Sendai)
• Continental Airlines
  • Continental Airlines operated by Continental Micronesia (Saipan)
• China Southern (Lanzhou)
• Delta Air Lines (Anchorage, Los Angeles)
• Gulf Air (Abu Dhabi, Muscat)
• Hong Kong Air (Clark, Laoag, Subic Bay)
• Hong Kong Express (Guangzhou, Nanjing)
• Japan Airlines (Okinawa)
• Korean Air (Jeju)
• Lauda Air (Bangkok, Vienna)
• Myanmar Airways International (Yangon)
• Northwest Airlines (Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Seattle/Tacoma)
• Scandinavian Airlines System (Copenhagen)
• Shandong Airlines (Jinan, Qingdao)
• Shenzhen Airlines (Nanning)
• Sichuan Airlines (Lijiang)
• Singapore Airlines (Honolulu, Las Vegas, Taipei)
• Pacific Airlines (Danang)
• Palau Asia Pacific Air (Koror)
• Transaero (Moscow-Domodedovo)
• United Airlines (Seattle/Tacoma, Los Angeles, Delhi)
• Varig (Bangkok, Johanesburg, Rio de Janeiro-Galeao, São Paulo-Guarulhos)
• Valuair (merged with Jetstar Asia) (Singapore)

Ground Transport

Hong Kong International Airport - Outside

Hong Kong International Airport - Inside

Hong Kong International Airport - Arrival Hall 6

Rail

The airport can be reached by the Airport Express, a dedicated high-speed rail link provided by the MTR. It takes 24 minutes to reach the airport from the central Hong Kong station, via Kowloon and Tsing Yi stations. Airport Express passengers may check-in for their flights up to a day before their departure, depending on the airline they are travelling with. Check-in counters are available at both the Hong Kong and Kowloon stations on the Airport Express Line.

Passengers may also take the 1-minute journey to AsiaWorld-Expo, which is located also in Chek Lap Kok. This portion of the Airport Express was opened from 20 Dec 2005.

Bus

Numerous city bus services are provided between the airport and most of the city, both by Citybus, New Lantao Bus and Long Win Bus from both the Airport Ground Transportation Centre and Cheong Tat Road.

In the various bus terminals in the City, bus routes that goes to the Airport are marked with the letter "A". No matter where you are located in Hong Kong, any "A" bus means that it goes to the airport. Some of the buses are also marked with a special orange color. These buses are also specially designed to carry large amounts of luggage.

Coach service is available to major cities and towns in Guangdong, such as Shenzhen, Dongguan and Guangzhou.

Ferry

Direct ferry services are available from the airport to various destinations throughout the Pearl River Delta. Passengers using these services are treated as transit passengers and are not considered to have entered Hong Kong for immigration purposes. Check-in services are available at these piers. Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen, Macau and Humen (Dongguan) – were initially served, extending to Zhuhai, Guangzhou and Zhongshan at the end of 2003. However, due to a high amounts of land reclamation, alot of routes have been canceled and some of the ferry terminals have moved. Also because of land reclamation, the ferry rides have become bumpier. Because of the efficiency of the other forms of transportation, ferries are no longer used as much by Hong Kong people and the fares have increased over the years.

Taxi

Main article: Taxicabs of Hong Kong

The airport is served by three different sorts of taxi, distinguished by their colour:

• Urban taxis (red) connect 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) connect the airport with the New Territories, excepting those parts of the Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tseung Kwan O served by urban taxis.
• Lantau taxis (blue) connect the airport with the rest of Lantau Island.

You will be charged extra if you require to go through any tunnels or bridges. The extra charge acts as a maintenance fee for the tunnels and bridges of Hong Kong.

Accidents and incidents

• On 22 August 1999, China Airlines Flight 642 (operated by China Airlines' subsidiary Mandarin Airlines), which was landing in Typhoon Sam at Hong Kong International Airport on a route from Bangkok International Airport in Bangkok to Hong Kong, rolled over and caught fire, coming to rest upside down beside the runway. Thanks to the extremely prompt and effective attendance of the Airport Fire Services, 312 of the 315 people on board survived.

• On 9 August 2002, a Cathay Pacific Airways flight aircraft returned to Hong Kong shortly after takeoff after air traffic controllers noticed flames in one of its engines. The Boeing 747-400 was carrying 356 passengers and 20 crew members and was on its way to San Francisco. The pilot shut down the engine, jettisoned some fuel and landed safely back at the airport. There were no reports of any injuries.

• On 15 July 2006, Virgin Atlantic Airways flight 201 suffered damage during take off because of a tailstrike and was forced to dump fuel in Hong Kong airspace and return to the airport for repairs.

See also

• Transport in Hong Kong
• List of buildings, sites, and areas in Hong Kong
• Kai Tak Airport - former Hong Kong International Airport (closed in 1998)
• Shek Kong Airfield - a military airport in Hong Kong
• Airport Authority Hong Kong
• Government Flying Service (Hong Kong) - a search and rescue service that operates from HKIA
• World's busiest airports by passenger traffic
• World's busiest airports by cargo traffic
• Megaprojects

External links

• Hong Kong International Airport
• Hong Kong International Airport - The Civil Aviation Department Hong Kong
• Hong Kong Airport Core Programme
• Air transport in Hong Kong - Trade Development Council
• The Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre
• Extreme Engineering: Hong Kong Airport on Discovery.com
• Hong Kong International Airport Traffic Guide
• World Aero Data airport information for VHHH

References

1. ^ Plant,G.W.; Covil,C.S; Hughes,R.A. (1999). Site Preparation for the New Hong Kong International Airport. American Society of Civil Engineers. ISBN 0-7277-2696-X.
2. ^ CONEXPO-CON/AGG '99 (1999). Top 10 Construction Achievements of the 20th Century. ISBN 0-9530219-5-5. Retrieved November 10, 2005.
3. ^ http://www.hongkongairport.com/eng/aboutus/scbrochure.html

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