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City Guide - Hong Kong - Air | ||
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Air Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) (Chek Lap Kok) Tel: 28 24 71 11 or 21 81 00 00 (enquiry hotline). Fax: 28 24 07 17. Web site: www.hkairport.com Hong Kong's new airport is 45km (28 miles) from central Hong Kong. It opened on 6 July 1998 (replacing the existing Kai Tak airport) and can handle 35 million passengers, planned ultimately to increase to 87 million. Major airlines: Cathay Pacific (tel: 27 47 12 34; web site: www.cathaypacific.com) is the territory's flag carrier, and operates direct flights to most major destinations in the West and Australasia. Other major airlines include Air China, Air New Zealand, American Airlines, British Airways, Emirates, Garuda Indonesia, Gulf Air, Lauda Air, Malaysian Airlines, Olympic Airways, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways and United Airlines. Note: The Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok is one of 10 Airport Core Programme (ACP) projects, one of the largest infrastructural projects ever undertaken in the world. It includes the 2.2km (1.4-mile) Tsing Ma Bridge, the world's largest suspension bridge, linking Hong Kong to Lantau. About three quarters of the 12,480 sq kilometres (7800 sq miles) of the airport site was constructed from land reclaimed from the sea, with the rest formed from the excavation of the existing islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau. The new airport terminal building, designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster, is Hong Kong's largest single building and its wing-like roof and glass walls have been hailed as a landmark in modern architecture; although the roof has also been known to leak during typhoons. Approximate flight times to Hong Kong: From London is 12 hours 30 minutes; from New York is 18 hours 35 minutes; from Los Angeles is 14 hours 50 minutes; from Toronto is 15 hours 15 minutes; and from Sydney is 8 hours 50 minutes. Airport facilities: Hong Kong International Airport has a suite of facilities appropriate to its size and importance. There are 124 immigration desks for arriving passengers and 96 for departing passengers, operated by Hong Kong's Immigration Department, as well as 76 customs desks. Twelve baggage carousels give an estimated baggage reclaim time of as low as ten minutes. The Hong Kong SkyMart shopping centre (opening hours 0600-2430) has 144 shops and 25 food and beverage outlets. Three information centres (opening hours 0600-2400) provide extensive services, including hotel reservation and touch-screen passenger information kiosks. Bureaux de change are open daily 0600-2330. The passenger terminal building offers special needs facilities for passengers with disabilities. Business facilities: There is a business centre (tel: 28 83 38 63) in the airport, which is operated by Cable and Wireless and provides internet services, fax and telegram facilities and a small conference room accommodating four or five people. Arrival/departure tax: HK$50 departure tax. Transport to the city: Rail, bus and taxi links from Hong Kong International Airport to central Hong Kong leave from the Ground Transportation Centre. The easiest connection is via the Airport Express, an all-seater high-speed train, which runs daily 0550-0100 and leaves every ten minutes, taking passengers from the airport to central Hong Kong in just 23 minutes via stops at Kowloon and Tsing Yi Station. A single adult ticket costs HK$70 (concessions available). The Airport Express is operated by the Mass Transit Railway (MTR) (tel: 28 81 88 88), which also connects districts through Kowloon and Hong Kong Island with the airport. Airport Express passengers can also take advantage of free shuttle buses linking its Hong Kong and Kowloon stations with major hotels, and there is a free check-in service at both stations for up to a day before departure. By bus, the quickest way to central Hong Kong is by the Airbus, which leaves every 15 minutes (journey time - 60 minutes) at a cost of approximately HK$40 for services to Central. About 30 franchised routes serve the airport, including night buses (the N11, N12, N22 and N31 routes). Taxis to Hong Kong are readily available. Red taxis serve Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, green taxis serve the New Territories, and blue taxis serve Lantau Island (journey time to Hong Kong - 45 minutes). Fares to Central are typically HK$40. Limousine hire is available from desks in the Arrivals hall. Ferry links operate daily every 30 minutes (0600-1000) between the airport and Tuen Mun in the New Territories for HK$15 (journey time - nine minutes). |