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Hong Kong International Airport (香港國際機場), popularly referred to as Chek Lap Kok Airport (赤鱲角機場 Pinyin: Chělič 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
Hong Kong International Airport
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 Tropical Storm 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
| Statistics
|
| 2002
|
| Number of Passengers
| 34,315,000
|
| Number of Takeoffs/Landing
| 206,630
|
| Capacity
|
| Passenger (current)
| 45,000,000
|
| Passenger (ultimate)
| 87,000,000
|
| Cargo (current)
| 3m tonnes
|
| Cargo (ultimate)
| 9m tonnes
|
| Apron (current)
| 96
|
| Number of destinations
|
| International (air)
| 130
|
| International (water)
| 6
|
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.
City Check-in
Hong Kong International Airport
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:
Citybus:
Discovery Bay Transit Services Limited:
- DB02R - To Discovery Bay (24 hours)
New Lantao Bus:
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.
Check-in Aisles
Airline check-in at HKIA is divided into eight aisles as passengers enter the airport.
Aisle A
Aisle B
Aisle C
Aisle D
Aisle E
Aisle F
Aisle G
Aisle H
Aisle J
See also
External links
