Hong Kong aviation success today means more than just adding routes

Ken Chu (LLD) is the chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group, with businesses in hospitality, leisure, entertainment, sports, wellness and education in China.

When Cathay Pacific Airways announced direct flights to Almaty starting next January, the significance went beyond adding another destination. The service will be Cathay Pacific’s first to Central Asia and the only non-stop passenger connection between Hong Kong and Kazakhstan.

Another announcement pointed to Hong Kong’s growing aviation reach from a different direction. Qatar Airways Cargo relocated its regional office to Hong Kong and agreed with the Airport Authority to increase frequencies and develop new routes through the city. The airline already operates around 56 cargo flights a week via Hong Kong.

Taken together, these developments offer an interesting glimpse of how Hong Kong’s aviation map is evolving.

As Cathay celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, Hong Kong also finds itself entering a new era for its airport. The three-runway system and Skytopia development signal ambitions that extend well beyond aviation. Hong Kong International Airport is no longer being positioned simply as one of the world’s best to arrive at or for transit, but as an integrated destination for tourism, business and entertainment.

In this year’s budget, the government reaffirmed the Airport City development as a strategic economic initiative. Hong Kong’s airport handled some 63 million passengers in the year ended March 31, nearly 15 per cent more than in the previous year, while remaining the world’s busiest cargo airport.

Yet these developments also pose an important question. If Hong Kong’s ambitions for its airport have evolved, has our thinking about what makes a successful aviation hub kept pace?