The Trinity Forum: Host’s Welcome
Building a better tomorrow at Hong Kong International Airport
In a compelling opening keynote presentation, Airport Authority Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Fred Lam outlined the exciting development plans for Hong Kong Airport City and connectivity within the Greater Bay Area.
He also outlined the vast change that has occurred since The Trinity Forum was last held in Hong Kong in 2015.
Pre-pandemic, HKIA served 75 million passengers and five million tonnes of cargo. In recent years, HKIA reclaimed 650 hectares of land to build a 3,800 metre-long third runway. It also began construction on a new Terminal 2 Concourse, expanded the existing Terminal 2 and introduced a new baggage handling system, with these key projects to be completed by the end of 2024.
Lam said: “Our vision for the future is to handle 120 million passengers. We should be able to achieve this goal by 2035, ten years after we finish our third runway. Our goal is to transform our airport from a city airport into an airport city.”
To achieve this transformation, HKIA has embraced technology to enhance operational efficiency and improve every aspect of airport operations from Artificial Intelligence (AI) to robotics and autonomous vehicles.
“We’ve used the last three years to transform our terminals and enhance the airport itself. From media walls to the sky bridge and by offering seamless tech-driven check-in and boarding experiences,” he said.
Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO Fred Lam outlined ambitious plans for development at Hong Kong International Airport
“Before, our service only began when passengers stepped into the terminal. Today, we can begin the airport experience before they even leave their homes. We pioneered the concept of City Check-ins 20 years ago. Now we take it one step further with the launch of Home Check-in. Through this, travellers can check-in their bags from home and track them in real time. We aim to come up with more business models to serve our passengers.”
On retail, Lam highlighted the renovation of luxury retail and the strong appeal of new areas to travellers. “Since we reopened our borders early this year, we have recovered to about 65% of pre-pandemic [sales] levels. However, some of the luxury brands in our airport have already exceeded pre-pandemic levels.
“We have also improved F&B by introducing dining experiences at various price levels, including new Michelin-starred brands now at the airport. We have added an updated dining area to cater to all travellers, and we have introduced a fully automated unmanned shop, open 24 hours. It has a lot of potential and we hope to introduce this more widely in future.”
Recently, HKIA opened a dazzling footbridge titled Sky Bridge, featuring the Intervals Sky Bar and restaurant by Plaza Premium Group. “This is very popular and probably the restaurant with the best views of any at the airport,” said Lam.
Lam also previewed plans for SkyCity and the 11Skies complex, which will be the largest retail, dining and entertainment destination in Hong Kong at 3.8 million sq ft of retail space. Lam said: “It’s not just a shopping mall. It will have 800 shops, 120 outlets and 570,000sq ft of indoor entertainment.”
The impressive vision for HKIA was outlined elegantly and concisely by Lam in one of the outstanding event addresses
Lam also outlined how an expanded Asia World Expo convention centre will be focused around a new 20,000-capacity spectator arena. “In the past, airlines brought traffic to but we wanted to explore how the airport itself can do something similar. I hope our SkyCity can transform people’s understanding of what airports can look like.”
Alongside three existing hotels on airport land, there are plans to develop further five-star luxury hotels, as part of establishing HKIA as a wider regional destination.
Importantly, Lam talked too about capturing opportunities in the Greater Bay Area. “We no longer see ourselves just as an airport for a space with 7.5 million people but as an international airport for a region of 86 million people. The Greater Bay Area is the richest region in the whole of China with the highest GDP per capita.”
To connect the Greater Bay Area, HKIA has created infrastructure from ferries to transport terminals and Park and Fly services to make HKIA the airport of choice for Chinese travellers in the region.
“We aim to create a seamless connection between our airport and travellers right across the GBA,” concluded Lam.
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The Moodie Davitt eZine
Issue 329 | 22 November 2023
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