The new Midfield Concourse at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is on track to open at the end of this year according to Jack So Chak-kwong, Chairman of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA), who recently visited the construction site.

 

As reported, Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) began tendering the retail spaces for its new Midfield Concourse in May of this year.

 

Construction work on the five-storey Midfield Concourse, located to the west of Terminal 1 and between the two existing runways, began in 2011.

 

“Upon opening of the Midfield Concourse, HKIA will be able to serve an additional 10m passengers every year and increase the ratio of passengers served by frontal stands,” says HKIA.

 

Mr So said: “The Midfield Concourse can help meet HKIA’s increasing aviation demand in medium term. However, as the current two-runway system will meet its maximum capacity in one or two years, the airport urgently needs a three-runway system to cater to its long-term passenger and cargo growth, and to maintain Hong Kong’s status as an international and regional aviation hub.”

And HKIA’s July traffic statistics only strengthen the airport’s case for expansion. During July, the airport marked a new monthly record in passenger throughput, when the number rose by 6.6% to 6m. However, cargo experienced a -1.9% year-on-year drop to 363,000 tonnes.

 

The growth in passenger traffic in July was mainly driven by transfer/transit traffic and Hong Kong resident traffic, which registered 12% and 11% growth, respectively, yoy. Passenger traffic to/from Southeast Asia and Japan recorded the most significant increases.

 

During the month, HKIA welcomed a new airline – Sky Lease Cargo, which began operating scheduled cargo flights to Miami twice a week with its Boeing 747 freighter from 16 July.

 

For the first seven months of the year, HKIA has served 39.5m passengers, an 8.7% increase yoy and on a rolling 12-month basis, HKIA has handled 66.5m passengers and increase of 7.4%