HONG KONG. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) inaugurated its HK$10 billion Midfield Concourse (MFC) on 28 December, adding capacity of ten million passengers a year.
The concourse will gradually introduce restaurants, coffee shops and retail outlets and will be fully operational by March.
Construction of the 105,000sq m five-storey new concourse began in 2011. Located to the west of Terminal 1 and between the two existing runways, the MFC provides 20 parking stands and connects with T1 via an extension of the Automated People Mover system.
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Airport Authority Chairman Jack So and Hong Kong Airlines Presidnet Zhang Kui present gifts to the first passengers to use the new facility |
The first departure from the facility was Hong Kong Airlines’ flight HX658 bound for Okinawa. An inauguration ceremony was held at the departure gate before take-off. Airport Authority Chairman Jack So, Hong Kong Airlines President Zhang Kui, Airport Authority Executive Director Airport Operations C K Ng and Hong Kong Airlines Chief Operating Officer Ben Wong celebrated the occasion with the flight’s nearly 300 passengers. Passengers also received souvenirs to commemorate the milestone.
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The 105,000sq m facility will add much needed capacity at HKIA, with retail and dining units to be added in the months ahead |
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Jack So said: “The MFC is an important development as it will help HKIA meet the increasing passenger traffic demand. In the past 12 months, HKIA has handled 68.2 million passengers, a year-on-year increase of +8.3%. With its capacity to serve an additional ten million passengers every year, the MFC will be able to increase the number of flights using air bridges to board and disembark, enhancing the overall passenger experience.”
C K Ng said: “To ensure smooth airport operations, we will gradually increase the usage of the MFC as planned in the next few months. We expect it will serve about 20% of daily passenger flights when operating at full capacity by next March.”
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The new concourse will hit full capacity by March |
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