Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has expanded its Airport City development blueprint for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to integrate an ecosystem for the art industry, AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2 development, a marina with ancillary facilities, a fresh food market and more.
According to the airport, these new projects will promote high-end commercial, tourism and leisure activities, and are expected to be completed from 2026 to 2031.
The expanded Airport City blueprint is underpinned by land resources on the Hong Kong Port Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the bay area between the airport island and Tung Chung, more than doubling the scale of development. The Airport City at HKIA will be the largest in the region, with the expansion projected to further develop the economy of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.
First unveiled in 2019, the Airport City blueprint combines the airport’s core functions with related business segments, leveraging the airport’s geographical location with a view to seizing the opportunities brought by various new infrastructures. AAHK has since taken forward various projects, including a new hotel and three Grade-A office towers, both opened for business already, as well as 11 SKIES, a complex integrating retail, dining and entertainment facilities scheduled to open in phases from the second half of 2025.
Artistic ecosystem
To complement Hong Kong’s position as an international art hub, AAHK is formulating plans to create an art ecosystem at HKIA. It will be Hong Kong’s first one-stop project that puts art creation, appreciation and trade under one roof, with an art community that comprises galleries and studios. There will be a purpose-built large-scale storage facility bespoke for artwork, the first of its kind in Hong Kong. These art-related facilities are intended to generate synergy with art exhibitions at AsiaWorld-Expo, propelling Hong Kong’s development into a world-class art marketplace.
AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2
Credit: HKIA
AAHK is taking forward the Phase 2 development of AsiaWorld-Expo, which will include Hong Kong’s largest multi-purpose indoor arena with a seating capacity of over 20,000 people, and more convention and exhibition facilities. This is to pave the way for more entertainment events and international commercial and trade activities to be hosted in Hong Kong.
Marina and ancillary facilities
AAHK will fully use the water resources adjacent to the airport island to introduce Hong Kong’s biggest marina and ancillary facilities, providing around 600 berths. This is hoped to make the Airport City a yacht tourism destination. In addition, a diverse range of water leisure and recreation facilities will be developed.
Providing more public spaces
Different kinds of indoor and outdoor leisure, cultural and entertainment facilities will be developed along the coastlines of the airport island and the Hong Kong Port Island, with hotel development and promenades of distinct characteristics. Public spaces will be interconnected for various kinds of festive celebrations that draw visitors.
AAHK is also making plans for a brand-new “sportainment” complex on Hong Kong Port Island that will combine novel indoor and outdoor sports concepts for adventure, exploration, sports and entertainment.
Jet Fresh Market
To fully leverage HKIA’s fresh food cargo portfolio, AAHK is planning to develop a “Jet Fresh Market” on Hong Kong Port Island to consolidate Hong Kong’s position as the hub of high-end fresh foods from around the world. The market will also offer a vantage point for viewing aircraft movements.
Fred Lam, chairman of AAHK, said, “HKIA is a leading international aviation hub in Asia. With the three-runway system fully operating by the end of this year, we are in a position to press full steam ahead with innovative projects in different market segments. The expansion of the development blueprint will focus on leveraging Hong Kong’s unique advantages and creating synergy among various projects to transform the Airport City into a new landmark of Asia. It will be a distinct tourist hotspot for visitors from Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and all over the world, especially premium visitors, injecting impetus into the economic growth of Hong Kong and the region.”
In related news, AAHK recently announced plans to develop an autonomous associated transportation system to carry visitors between the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and Skycity at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). It is said it will be the first autonomous mass transportation system in Hong Kong. Click here to read the full story.