Hong Kong International Airport opens second terminal

Hong Kong International Airport opened its second passenger terminal Wednesday (27 May) as it hopes to increase capacity to 100 million passengers a year. Fifteen airlines will begin to relocate their check-in services to T2 starting on 27 May. (PHOTO: HKIA) Fred Lam, Chairman of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said at the opening that “The opening of T2 is another milestone of HKIA’s development. Positioned as a terminal for leisure travel, T2’s design prioritises efficiency and passenger comfort. We attend to every detail, leveraging technology extensively to enable efficient self check-in, self bag drop and smooth immigration clearance. We believe T2 would be popular among passengers, in particular young travellers. The airy interiors, the clean and floating lines of its streamline design make T2 a timeless architecture, while the dynamic and 3D contents on the LED panels around T2 create a vibe that generates a sense of excitement as passengers embark on their journeys.” Michael Wong, Acting Financial Secretary, said, “The remarkable achievements of HKIA have been hard-earned, and we will continue to strive in the future. The government will continue to adopt a multi-pronged approach to strengthen HKIA’s position as an international aviation hub, including accelerating the expansion of the aviation network, enhancing intermodal connectivity with the Greater Bay Area, and advancing the development of the Airport City. In particular, we will proactively align with and work on the National 15th Five-Year Plan, and fully support Hong Kong’s role as an international aviation hub.” Spanning 300,000 square metres, T2 is designed and equipped to serve both departing and arriving passengers. On 27 May the departure facilities will be commissioned, with the arrival facilities expected to commence operations next year, in line with traffic demand.  The departures hall of T2 features eight check-in aisles, P to W, with 68 express self-bag drop counters, 58 smart check-in kiosks and 108 hybrid check-in counters. All self bag-drop counters and hybrid counters feature an ultra-low platform design that enables passengers to put their bags onto the conveyor belt with ease. The 20 e-Security Gates at the entrances to the restricted area are all embedded with facial recognition technology. In tandem with T2 opening on 27 May, the minimum age for using facial recognition at e-Security Gates will be lowered from 11 to 7 in both Terminal 1 and T2. Inside the restricted area, all 15 smart security screening channels at T2 allow passengers to keep their laptops and bottled liquid under 100ml in their carry-on luggage while undergoing screening. The Immigration Department has set up 35 e-Channels and 60 counters for departing passengers. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]