Bright Skies Ahead: Hong Kong International Airport's Soaring Expansion Puts Passengers First

The frenzied rush through the airport will be a thing of the past as epic plans for Hong Kong International Airport ready for takeoff.

We have all been there: coffee in one hand, your shopping in another. While you rummage through your bag for your passport, you almost spill your drink before you fish the eluding little book out.

This scenario will be a thing of the past as new plans for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) are launched. Already a world-leading aviation hub handling close to 75 million passengers a year, the visionary changes will see the airport evolve well beyond the traditional concept and puts the passenger experience first. An expansion into a three runway system will add about half the size of the current airport, while a sweeping modernization of the existing two terminals will provide passengers with endless fascinations to see and do.

Technical innovation will ease the passage from the check-in process to boarding gate. Biometric face scanners will validate a passenger’s identity and their face becomes a “single token” that allows them to pass through multiple checkpoints. It means passengers will only need to show their travel document once at the airport. After that, their face becomes their passport for the rest of their airport journey.

And in the brief moments when you do take pause? Optimized artificial intelligence, data analysis and the Internet of Things will help provide personalized services right when you need them. Boosted WiFi and bandwidth will mean that you are always connected to the people most important to you. But you can forget about needing to email your assistant: Missed flight? Not on this watch.