As Singapore’s Changi airport soars, is HK$141 billion upgrade too little too late for Hong Kong?
Hong Kong’s third runway and new passenger building will only be ready in seven years. But airports in the region are already pumping billions into upgrades to serve an expected 2.1 billion new travellers by 2036
Indeed, HKIA has received mostly effusive praise since it opened in July 1998. It took seven years to construct the modern, glass-roofed facility, which at the time took the city right to the forefront of regional aviation.
But now, the accolades are in decline.
The two-terminal, two-runway airport is lagging its arch-rival, Singapore’s Changi Airport, which on Tuesday launched its hi-tech HK$5.6 billion (US$723 million) fourth terminal.
HKIA is bursting at the seams, with airlines clamouring for more flights to meet demand and passengers complaining of chronic delays and slow baggage delivery.
It will take another seven years before its third runway and new passenger concourse, both currently under construction, can handle the 100 million passengers who want to fly to and from the city.