Hong Kong airport shutdown could give Shenzhen the edge as top air hub in Greater Bay Area
- Chaos at Hong Kong International Airport comes as neighbouring centres press ahead with big plans
- Shenzhen Baoan International Airport gained approval in April to build a third runway, which would allow it to handle 80 million passengers a year
The shutdown of operations at Hong Kong International Airport for a second consecutive day on Tuesday has tarnished the city’s reputation and could prompt airlines to reassess the facility’s role as the main air transport hub for the Greater Bay Area, analysts said.
That reassessment could be supported by Chinese government efforts to expand the capacity of other airports in the area to handle the expected increase in passenger traffic in coming years, they added.
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) cancelled all remaining departures late on Tuesday afternoon for a second straight day, as hundreds of black-shirted protesters staged a sit-in in the departure terminal, stopping passengers from checking in and checked-in passengers from reaching their planes.
The chaos comes as the cities Shenzhen and Guangzhou in nearby Guangdong province are pressing ahead with upgrades to raise their standing in international air travel.
Shenzhen Baoan International Airport, for instance, gained Beijing’s approval in April this year to build a third runway, which would allow it to handle 80 million passengers a year, up from 49 million last year.
Hong Kong’s airport handled 74.7 million passengers last year.
According to a Guangdong government plan published in July, Shenzhen, which borders Hong Kong, will be the gateway for the region and the “core” international aviation hub for the Pearl River Delta.