On The Radar: Hong Kong International Airport

Is China getting ready to try and reclaim Hong Kong’s position as a global transit hub?

Hong Kong International Airport has simulated a major surge of passengers in sign that the city could relax Covid curbs, reports Bloomberg. Over the course of 30 minutes last week, the airport facilitated a simulation of 1000 arrivals and says it went “smoothly”.

This comes after more than two years of pressures felt by Beijing’s Covid Zero policy in China, which has decimated Hong Kong’s status as a global alpha city.  During the pandemic and (still ongoing) restrictions to daily life, Hong Kong has faced its “worst-ever expat exodus” reports Insider, with more than 110,000 Hong Kongers, mostly expats, leaving for good in the first half of 2022.

Reports are that Hong Kong now feels “no different from mainland China”, which is at complete odds with the open and vivacious reputation the city once enjoyed.

Pre-pandemic, Hong Kong International was designed to handle 6200 arrivals per hour, so 1000 arrivals in 30 minutes (3 to 4 planeloads) doesn’t sound too impressive. However, what is being tested is the airport’s quarantine controls and its ability to handle testing and other restrictions on the ground.

Passengers of different ages, with incomplete documents and who tested Covid positive, were all included in the exercise. Both RAT and PCR Covid tests from every arrival remain mandatory at the airport.

Cathay Pacific Airways, the city’s biggest air carrier, plans to increase its passenger operations to about 25 percent of pre-Covid levels by year-end. As of July 2022, it was operating at just 12.4 percent.

There are some reports Hong Kong CEO John Lee plans to remove hotel quarantine by November, but South China Morning Post says that remains unconfirmed. 

- Asia Media Centre