HONG KONG, CHINA. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) served 5.7 million passengers in 2022, up by +318.4% on a troubled 2021 but still -92% down on pre-pandemic 2019 levels when the airport served 71.5 million passengers.
More encouragingly, a late-year improvement driven by Hong Kong’s easing and then scrapping of quarantine requirements, saw December passenger traffic surge +938.7% year-on-year to 1.6 million. While that equated to just 28.1% of December 2019 volumes (5.7 million –the same figure as the whole of 2022), the recent opening of the Hong Kong-Mainland China border augurs well for a strong and sustained recovery in 2023.
Airport Authority Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Fred Lam said: “The airport endured another challenging year in 2022 as the impact of the pandemic continued. Nevertheless, we saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the HKSAR Government relaxed travel restrictions and quarantine requirements for inbound travellers in the second half of the year.
“Passenger traffic at HKIA started to pick up in the last quarter of 2022. We also have a good start of 2023 with the resumption of normal travel with the Mainland. We are confident that passenger traffic will continue to recover at HKIA.”
Lam added that in preparation for the return of normalised travel, Airport Authority Hong Kong had “spared no effort” in revamping the airport’s facilities, including the retail space.
“In the past year, the third runway was officially commissioned, which was a significant milestone for the Three-runway System project. Sky Bridge, the 200 metre-long footbridge connecting Terminal 1 and T1 Satellite Concourse, opened last November to offer convenience and new experience.
“Facial recognition is applied to the entire departure journey. The luxury zone and boarding gate areas have been revamped to amaze passengers with new looks and facilities.”
{In this film recorded for The Trinity Forum in November 2022, Airport Authority Hong Kong General Manager Retail Portfolio Alby Tsang talks about how the organisation had used the pandemic constructively to create “a new and enhanced airport experience”}
On 8 January, Hong Kong and Mainland China reopened their borders, allowing quarantine-free entry to both sides. Flights between the Mainland and Hong Kong are being stepped up rapidly.
On 10 January Cathay Pacific announced additional flights to Mainland cities including Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xiamen, and Fuzhou. It has also opened flights to other destinations in the Mainland such as Chongqing, Zhengzhou, Hangzhou and Nanjing. ✈
