Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) conducted an exercise on April 17 to fine-tune its preparedness for the forthcoming typhoon season. The exercise was held in Terminal 2 (T2) in preparation for the terminal’s commissioning on May 27. It involved 700 participants from approximately 30 organizations.
The exercise simulated the scenario of a tropical cyclone gradually approaching, followed by deteriorating weather conditions culminating in the raising of Hurricane Signal No. 10. Response units including the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), relevant government departments, airlines, passenger and ramp handling agents and other airport business partners took coordinated actions to ensure the airport remained safe and operational under severe weather.
Crowd management drills were conducted at Terminals 1 and 2 during the exercise. AAHK’s duty staff, airline ground staff and members of Aviation Security Company Limited (AVSECO) guided and controlled passenger flow. Bottled water and snacks were distributed to affected passengers. Contingency baggage handling arrangements were implemented to manage baggage overflow. In addition, airbridge tie‑down operations and restoration works were performed to ensure safety on the apron. The Airport Emergency Center (AEC) was activated to facilitate effective communication and coordination among all parties. The Flight Rescheduling Control System was also implemented to plan for the orderly resumption of flight services.
As the exercise progressed to simulate the departure of the tropical cyclone, immediate actions were taken to prepare for the recovery phase. These included activating the Taxi Queue Ticket System and coordinating land transportation arrangements to help arriving passengers leave the airport efficiently as flight operations and ground transportation gradually resumed.
Steven Yiu, executive director of airport operations at AAHK, said the exercise was carried out smoothly and successfully.
In related news, HKIA simulates powerbank fire in emergency exercise
