Hong Kong launches single check-in scheme for select mainland China flights

Travellers flying from Hangzhou or Wuhan to overseas destinations via Hong Kong on different airlines can have their baggage checked through to the final destination under a newly launched service that aims to step up the connections between mainland Chinese cities and other countries.

Under the new one-stop service that launched on Tuesday, travellers departing from Hangzhou Xiaoshan International Airport or Wuhan Tianhe International Airport will not need to check in their baggage again when transferring through Hong Kong, even if they are flying on a different airline on the next leg of their journey.

“Hong Kong International Airport is launching a game-changing service,” Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said.

Hailed as a service that will allow “one air ticket, one check-in and direct delivery of baggage to destination”, passengers can obtain boarding passes for both legs of their journey at their first departure airport, while luggage can be checked through to their final destination.

This allows them to transit in Hong Kong without clearing immigration and proceed directly to their connecting international flights.

The Hangzhou-Hong Kong and Wuhan-Hong Kong Transfer Service was launched under China’s “Linking the Trunk and Branch, Connecting Urban and Remote” initiative. First introduced in 2021, the initiative is already active across more than 260 airports on the mainland and has cumulatively facilitated 260 million transfer passengers.

Fred Lam Tin-fuk, chairman of the Airport Authority, said the launch of the new service was an important step in reinforcing Hong Kong’s role as a “value-adder” and “superconnector” between the mainland and the rest of the world.

Hong Kong International Airport currently connects to 220 destinations worldwide and aims to expand its network to 240 destinations over the next five years.

The new one-stop transfer service is being trialled on certain routes, including Hangzhou-Hong Kong-Bangkok, Hong Kong-Hangzhou-Dalian and Xining-Wuhan-Hong Kong.

Air China and Cathay Pacific took part in the trial on the Wuhan side, while Zhejiang Loong Airlines and Hong Kong Airlines were involved on the Hangzhou side.

The Airport Authority hopes to expand the service to more mainland cities and encourage greater participation from mainland airlines.

The new service was launched at Super Terminal Expo 2026, held at AsiaWorld-Expo from Tuesday to Thursday. More than 6,000 aviation professionals from over 60 countries and regions are attending the expo, alongside more than 120 exhibitors. More than 80 conference sessions are scheduled.

Titled “Shaping Asia’s Future Transportation Hubs”, the exhibition explores how artificial intelligence and other advanced technologies are strengthening airport operations and resilience, and how the low-altitude economy is shaping the airports of the future.