General Information » Getting Around » Air Travel

Since Hong Kong borders only mainland China, air travel is a big deal here – virtually all trips to destinations other than the mainland (and many trips there, too, for that matter) are by air.

Fortunately, Hong Kong has an airport built to match these needs. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), opened in 1998, and overcame some teething problems to quickly take a place among the world’s best. It lies on the flattened remains of a small island, Chek Lap Kok, just north of Hong Kong’s largest island, Lantau. There was originally just one huge terminal, with the upper floor dedicated to departures, the lower to arrivals, but Terminal Two was due to open in March 2007. There are big duty-free shops for both those departing and those arriving.

HKIA is extremely busy, with around 750 flights a day provided by over 80 airlines. There are flights to most major cities, with direct-flight options usually available. With the advent of longer-range aircraft in recent years, even the east coast cities in North America are now reachable in one incredibly long haul (16 hours) from Hong Kong. You’ll still need a stopover to make it to destinations in central and South America, and to many African cities, however.

Hong Kong is also home to a world-class airline, Cathay Pacific. Although Cathay doesn’t fly into China itself (this job is relegated to its sister airline, Dragonair), they do fly to most major cities in Asia, North America, Europe and Australia.