Hong Kong airport looking to speed up expansion work to cut impact on flight numbers

Authority aims to have new runway in use before existing landing strip closes, but wants to cut time needed for tunnelling work

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Expansion of Hong Kong International Airport is set to be ready in 2024. Photo: Dickson Lee

Published: 9:00am, 20 Apr 2018Updated: 7:31pm, 20 Apr 2018

The operator of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is mulling how to speed up key aspects of its expansion to increase flights and use three runways before the project’s 2024 completion date.

The Hong Kong Airport Authority’s options are focused on the closure of the northern runway in 2022 for about two years to allow for tunnelling work to create a road access for airport vehicles to cross the live runway safely without delaying or endangering aircraft.

Aircraft would start using the new third runway before the existing runway closed, so flights would not be affected, but tunnelling work under the current northern take-off and landing strip could be sped up to shorten the 24-month closure.

HKIA is expanding and will add a third runway. Photo: Fung Chang

The expansion project, which includes a new passenger concourse and expanded terminal building, land reclamation and a new airport-based train and baggage system, is set to cost HK$141.5 billion (US$18 billion).

We are almost at the tunnel’s final design and we are trying all means to really reduce the impact of closing the runway

Tommy Leung King-yin, Hong Kong Airport Authority

HKIA handled 420,000 flights and 72.9 million passengers last year, well above forecast, but there is little room for airlines to add new flights until after the completion date.