There’s an exciting update for Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), as it has just become a much more competitive global aviation hub.
In this post:
Hong Kong’s third runway project finally complete
On November 28, 2024, Hong Kong Airport’s three-runway system was finally commissioned, marking a new milestone in Hong Kong’s aviation development. This project wasn’t cheap, and cost 141.5 billion HKD (18.1 billion USD). However, it was completed on schedule and within budget, which is pretty rare for airport projects.
Historically Hong Kong had two parallel runways, though in 2016 we saw construction started on a third parallel runway, intended to greatly expand the airport’s capacity for arriving and departing flights. Construction on the third runway, located in the north part of the airport, was actually completed in late 2022.
However, once that project was complete, work had to be performed on the center runway, including leveling the runway pavement to tie in with connecting taxiways, constructing new runway entry and exit taxiways, building new wraparound taxiways at both ends of the runway, and more. The work on the center runway has now been completed.
This means that for the first time, all three runways can be used at the same time. These are runways 7L/25R, 7C/25C, and 7R/25L (the number stands for the runway’s heading with a zero missing, and then the “L” stands for left, the “C” stands for center, and the “R” stands for right).
Here’s how Hong Kong Airport Authority Chairman Fred Lam describes this development:
“The 3RS will significantly enhance the overall capacity of the airport, further expanding our extensive air traffic network and consolidating our position as an international aviation hub. The commissioning of the 3RS will provide impetus for the Airport City development and support Hong Kong’s economic growth. Leveraging Hong Kong’s unique strengths, the Airport City will be a world-leading new landmark, attracting visitors from all around the world and driving Hong Kong’s economic development.”
How Hong Kong Airport’s capacity will increase
We’re going to gradually see capacity at Hong Kong Airport increase. That makes sense, when you consider that you can’t just greatly increase airport capacity overnight — we’re still seeing terminal construction projects at the airport, plus existing airlines can only slowly ramp up capacity.
For that matter, Hong Kong’s passenger numbers haven’t even recovered to pre-pandemic levels, so the airline has had a setback of at least five years in terms of growth.
The goal is that by 2035, Hong Kong Airport will increase its annual passenger capacity to 120 million (from 80 million) and increase annual cargo capacity to 10 million tons (from five million tons). Furthermore, the total number of airplane movements with the third runway can increase from 69 per hour to 102 per hour, so that a roughly 48% increase.
I’m a huge fan of Hong Kong Airport, and it’s one of my favorite airports in the world. It’s also an airport that keeps improving, from terminal expansion, to runway expansion, to cool avgeek features, like the amazing Sky Bridge. So I’m very much rooting for the airport and for Hong Kong.
Admittedly Hong Kong has changed quite a bit over the past decade. While I think Mainland China getting more involved hasn’t been great for Hong Kong’s reputation as a free business hub, we have seen a greater focus on the concept of the Greater Bay Area, where people take ferries to Hong Kong, and then fly from there. I imagine that’s where much of the increased demand for the airport will come from.
Bottom line
Hong Kong Airport’s three-runway system is finally live, meaning the airport finally has three operational runways. In the long run, this will allow cargo capacity to double, passenger capacity to increase by 50%, and the number of hourly takeoffs and landings to increase by nearly 50%. We’ve been watching this project happen for nearly a decade, so it’s super exciting to see it finally complete.
What do you make of Hong Kong completing work to get three runways operational?
This thread is unfortunately full of ignorance and it feels like people haven't been reading news about Hong Kong since Covid. The city's population is back up since the outmigrations of the immediate aftermath of the imposition of the National Security Law and Covid controls and Cathay Pacific is doing much, much better than anyone expected. Hong Kong is also plugging into a lot more business opportunities in other markets more actively than it had...
This thread is unfortunately full of ignorance and it feels like people haven't been reading news about Hong Kong since Covid. The city's population is back up since the outmigrations of the immediate aftermath of the imposition of the National Security Law and Covid controls and Cathay Pacific is doing much, much better than anyone expected. Hong Kong is also plugging into a lot more business opportunities in other markets more actively than it had in the past, when it was overreliant on connecting China and the West. The premature obituaries proved unfounded and you would think that would lead people to reevaluate how they feel about the future as well.
Trying to ignore pure politcs -
HK airport has a lot it could be improving besides capacity. E.g. its transfer capabilities and general comfort levels for passengers compared to SIN.
It is a fantastic airport vs anything in europe, but it has SIN on its doorstep and unless flying CX then most airlines have a choice use one or other as a transit stop or have an arrangement with SQ or a OW airlines...
Trying to ignore pure politcs -
HK airport has a lot it could be improving besides capacity. E.g. its transfer capabilities and general comfort levels for passengers compared to SIN.
It is a fantastic airport vs anything in europe, but it has SIN on its doorstep and unless flying CX then most airlines have a choice use one or other as a transit stop or have an arrangement with SQ or a OW airlines and make SIN the stopover, which many are now doing.
CX need to have the ability to become a strategic player akin to a national airline (which is not the case today), or HKG has problems.
"SIN on its doorstep"...it is four hours away, equivalent to the distance of crossing all of Europe. It's a huge diversion south for a lot of traffic moving from Europe to Asia or North America to Asia, although SIN is admittedly competitively positioned for Australia. Feel like people need to keep this more in mind when talking about competition between these airports, and between CX and SQ.
4 hours direct between the two yes, that has nothing to do with transit routes!
I visited HK for the first time in 2014 and loved it. Now, ten years later, I doubt I’ll ever go back. Thanks China for snuffing out the democratic and capitalist center of SE Asia.
It is neither in Southeast Asia nor was it the "democratic center" of East or Southeast Asia when you were there, but you were fine with all the limitations on democracy then apparently.
@David HK is in East Asia. Not a part of Southeast Asia. Geography 101, dude. Haha.
Make HK British Again. /s
And bring cricket this time. They are all good on the tea.
Given the changing business landscape due to china’s increasing control of HK I’d be surprised if there is much of an increase in demand. I’d imagine if it weren’t for this project having already started 3 years before 2019, they would have thought differently about starting it today.
More and more is shifting to SIN, even though it is quite a bit further from most business hubs, which is a testament to how much HK is in decline. Korea really missed an opportunity.
For what it's worth, a lot of people who moved to Singapore during COVID have come back to HK, which to a lot of people (myself included) still feels much freer and certainly more dynamic than Singapore. To quote Chris Patten, the last British Governor of HK: "No one has ever made money betting against Hong Kong". Of course he has lately changed his tune, and it's a fool's errand to bet where this is all going, including HKG, not to mention the world at large.
"and it's a fool's errand to bet where this is all going"
What are you talking about? There's no question where this is going. China is going to increasingly assert itself over HK until there's practically no difference between it and any other mainland city, be that 1947 or sooner, and there's really nothing that anyone can do about it.
2047 I hope
@OT that’s interesting people going back to HK from Singapore… I spend a fair amount of time in Singapore (only visiting though) and haven’t ever really felt it being repressive - rule of thumb is be respectful and I don’t know of any issues. Interesting HK would be considered ‘freer’ these days.
Some actual numbers/data would be helpful here. The likelihood inflows back to HK are anything near to outlflows (to SG and elsewhere) is very unlikely, said as someone who would love to see HK thriving but anecdotal and real data would suggest otherwise.
A lot of very underinformed commentary here that demonstrate people don't follow things in HK that closely. There have been mostly inflows since 2022 when Covid controls were still on.
Nah, Once they closed Kai Tak Hong Kong was never the same.
No.
Once Covid and Carrie Lam got involved, Honkers became permanently less attractive as a business hub AND a tourist destination.
I miss Kai Tak too, but the new airport was sorely needed.
It's amazing how Carrie Lam managed to be radically unpopular with both the pro-Freedom AND the pro-China camp. It's really quite the feat.
@TW Honkers??? That word you are using actually means something that honks or a person’s nose.
An airport with one of the most dangerous landings in the world and virtually no capacity for expansion?
The leading zero is only dropped before runway numbers in the United States. Hong Kong would call them 07/25.
It's not a leading zero, it's a following zero, and it indicates directional heading: "07/25" = 70degrees or 250degrees.
The designations don't change by country, as they're based on magnetic north.
The initial comment was correct; Hodor was referring to the leading zero in 07, not the trailing digit, which could be anything from zero to nine.
In the US, that runway would be referred to as 7/25, whereas in the rest of the world it would be 07/25, with a leading zero.
Beijing is slowly strangling the golden Hong Kong goose. Luxury housing is being discounted for what is probably the first time ever, and Singapore has become a much more attractive (and less oppressive) place to do business. It's still a vibrant, exciting city to visit, but if I were establishing an Asia-Pacific HQ, why would I go there instead of Singapore or Sydney?
@Pete
Sydney?
Better call it an Oceania HQ.
But you're right, Singapore is probably the most attractive to set up an APAC HQ.
HK - say no more.
Tokyo - Carlos Ghosn would like to join the conversation.
Seoul - not sure whether would they even have any people left in next few decades.
The rest - too small/weak to be set up an HQ. Or too far.
HK would still remain as an attractive tourist destination, until 2047 when the One Country Two System ends.
Asia-Pacific covers Sydney, and I agree with the rest of your points. Honkers is done.
Sorry mate, "Asia-Pacific" is a term invented to make Australians feel part of the party. Suggesting Sydney as replacement for HK is like suggesting Sao Paolo as a replacement for New York.
Singapore hasn't changed and hasn't become "less oppressive." Just ask the relatives of the founding and recent Prime Ministers who have had to flee abroad to avoid persecution by the state.
DELTA doesn't need HK!
American won’t fly back to HKG and increase mainland China until at least 2026. It will depend on US China relations and if western businesses return.
" 7L/25R, 7C/25C, and 7R/25R"
Should read:
7L/25R
7C/25C
7R/25L
"...runways 7L/25R, 7C/25C, and 7R/25R." Should this read "and 7L/25R"?
Flight traffic at HKG declined significantly since COVID. 2023 was just 2/3 of 2019.
It’ll be awhile before they need all that extra capacity.
They made everyone pay a extra fee for the construction of this new runway since 2016. Jerks
Airport Construction Fee
The Airport Construction Fee (ACF) is collected on air tickets issued on or after 1 August 2016 as part of the financial arrangement for the three-runway system (3RS).
Pay for the facilities you'll be using? The horror!
No pay for future facilities you are not currently using because you are just visiting Hong Kong.
Like I did.
But it makes sense because all the locals in Hong Kong are rude. Go there if you want to get yelled at.
If you flew into HKG, then you used the service, thus you paid for it. Are you really struggling to comprehend this simple concept?
Nearly every major city hotel charges some sort of convention center fee - whether a guest is staying to visit the convention center or not. Many airports charge concession fees on rental cars for future airport development projects. I think the practice is very common