Hong Kong’s new Terminal 2 to open in May

Many travellers flying out of Hong Kong will be checking in at the reborn Terminal 2 instead of Terminal 1 as of May 27, as the long-delayed T2 project comes to life.

Terminal 2 will eventually be home to some 15 airlines “which mainly operate short-haul and regional routes,” a spokesperson for the airport tells Executive Traveller.

First up will be HK-based Greater Bay Airlines, Cathay Pacific’s low-cost arm HK Express, and Hong Kong Airlines.

However, until the opening of the sprawling ‘midfield concourse’ sandwiched between the eastern ends of the second and third runways – which is now not expected until 2027 – airlines will only offer check-in and baggage drop at T2, with flights still departing from T1.

“In the initial phase, after check-in, departing passengers will take the automated people mover (APM) system from T2 to T1 for boarding,” the spokesperson explains, adding that more airlines “will move to T2 in phases.”

The dedicated Terminal 2 concourse will sport some 60 aircraft gates plus lounges, shops and more.

When T2 is fully operational, “passengers will check in at T2 and take the APM to depart from T2C, while T2’s facilities for arrival passengers will also be commissioned.”

Airlines “will move to T2 in phases” and “the passenger facilities of the expanded T2 are commissioned in phases as planned to align with passenger traffic demand.”

The T2 concourse will have around 60 aircraft gates, and is also where travellers will find lounges, duty-free shops, and plenty of places to eat and drink.

However, it’s not yet known which airlines will open a lounge at T2, or if there’s scope for an alliance-branded lounge from the likes of SkyTeam and Star Alliance.

The new T2 will be open and airy.

The transformation of T2

Many years ago, Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 was primarily the domain of low-cost carriers and very much the poor cousin to Terminal 1.

But it’s now being transformed into a much larger and thoroughly modern high-tech terminal with a new role to play in transforming HKG “from a city airport to an airport city.”

That transformation isn’t just about T2 itself, which looked more like a multi-billion dollar Meccano set as the old terminal was rebuilt from the ground up.

Terminal 2 offers its own take on the swooping roof lines of HKG T1.

This blue sky future is also framed by the airport’s third runway – extending 3.8km across 650 hectares of reclaimed land in parallel with its twin predecessors – and the ambitious SkyCity precinct of hotels, commercial towers and the 11 Skies mega-mall.

With both terminals and all three runways operating in tandem, HKIA will be able to handle 120 million passengers per year – with an increasingly large number of those travelling to and from China’s Greater Bay Area.

Two terminals and three runways: the new shape of Hong Kong International Airport.

Fast-track entry to China?

There’s also the possibility that T2 could eventually host pre-clearance Chinese customs and immigration facilities, which would permit travellers headed for the mainland to arrive in China as domestic passengers.

A similar system is already in place at West Kowloon station, which connects Hong Kong to China’s high-speed rail network via Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

Establishing this gateway at Hong Kong International Airport would streamline travel and bring the Asian metropolis even closer to the mainland.

Also read: Your 48-hour Hong Kong stopover guide and How to experience Hong Kong like a local