Travelers walk by others waiting at the departures hall at Hong Kong International Airport in Hong Kong, Feb 10, 2023. (PHOTO / AP)
HONG KONG – The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government is working to expand and enhance the seamless transfer service at the city’s international airport for travelers going to and from the Greater Bay Area, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said Wednesday.
Answering a query at the Legislative Council, Tang said the government will strive to enhance intermodal transport connections between the Hong Kong International Airport and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
The Airport Authority Hong Kong is working with Zhuhai Airport in introducing "Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK" passenger transfer service, which will allow Chinese mainland passengers to reach worldwide destinations through HKIA by flying to Zhuhai Airport first and then transfer to HKIA through HZMB
Apart from setting up city terminals in strategic locations in the GBA to provide transport links to Hong Kong and passenger check-in service, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) provides a sea-air intermodal passenger transfer service, Tang said.
This allows passengers going to and from ten ports in the GBA using SkyPier to transfer at HKIA without the need to go through Hong Kong's immigration procedures, making their travel fast and easy, he said.
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“Such service will be extended to the SkyPier Terminal which is under development, thereby allowing passengers from Macao and Guangdong travelling to HKIA through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to enjoy the aforesaid seamless transfer service as well,” Tang added.
‘Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK’
He said the AAHK is also working with Zhuhai Airport in introducing "Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK" passenger transfer service, which will allow Chinese mainland passengers to reach worldwide destinations through HKIA by flying to Zhuhai Airport first and then transfer to HKIA through HZMB.
“International passengers will also be able to travel to mainland cities through the reverse process,” Tang said.
At the same time, the AAHK is also actively applying innovation and technologies such as Flight Token to speed up airport processes and shorten the clearance time for passengers, he added.
Tang said the HKSAR government and the AAHK will continue to explore possible measures to enhance clearance efficiency and connectivity with the mainland, and will expand the "Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK" passenger transfer service to include mainland cities to which Hong Kong does not have direct flights.
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He said this would integrate the international aviation network of HKIA with the domestic aviation network of Zhuhai Airport “for strong synergy, with a view to enhancing Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub.”
'Collaborative inspection and joint clearance'
Tang said that the governments of the HKSAR and Shenzhen were also eyeing implementing “collaborative inspection and joint clearance" for customs clearance at the new Huanggang Port.
Under such a mode, automatic channels or counters for both outbound and inbound visitors will be set up side by side at the boundary inside the port.
This will allow visitors to queue up and have their documents inspected once to pass through the immigration facilities of both sides and complete the respective immigration procedures.
Tang said the government will explore using the same approach in planning the redevelopment of the Sha Tau Kok Port and development of new boundary control points in future, to facilitate passenger clearance and enhance clearance efficiency.