Hong Kong airport opens Terminal 2 hub May 27

Hong Kong International Airport will open the new departure facilities at Terminal 2 on May 27, shifting part of its passenger processing out of Terminal 1 before the northern summer travel peak. Airport Authority Hong Kong has said 15 airlines, mainly on regional and short-haul routes, will move their departures check-in services to the expanded terminal in phases. The operator says the project is designed to absorb higher summer traffic and add a new bank of self-service and staffed check-in positions. A full-scale trial on May 14, involving more than 1,100 participants from about 30 organisations, was the last major readiness exercise before the launch. ### What exactly opens on May 27? Terminal 2’s new passenger departure facilities are scheduled to commence operations on May 27, 2026, Airport Authority Hong Kong said in a Feb. 17 announcement. The date was announced by AAHK Chairman Fred Lam and Hong Kong transport and logistics secretary Mable Chan during Chinese New Year celebrations at the airport. (hongkongairport.com) The May 27 launch covers departures processing rather than a separate set of boarding gates inside Terminal 2. After check-in, security and immigration, passengers will use the Automated People Mover to reach boarding gates in Terminal 1, according to the airport’s May 15 passenger guidance. (hongkongairport.com) ### Which airlines are moving, and when? Fifteen airlines will relocate their departures check-in counters from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 in phases starting May 27, the airport said on March 27. The carriers include the three home-based airlines — HK Express Airways, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines. (hongkongairport.com) June 10 is the date by which the full relocation is due to be completed, according to Airport Authority Hong Kong’s March 27 statement. A separate airport update on May 15 said the target is to complete the relocation by mid-June 2026. ### How much extra traffic is the terminal expected to handle? (hongkongairport.com) Around eight million passenger trips are expected to be handled by the Terminal 2 departure facilities in their first 12 months of operation, the airport said after the May 14 trial. Airport Authority Hong Kong has not framed that figure as a full-terminal passenger count across all services, but as the expected volume for the newly commissioned departure facilities. (hongkongairport.com) The airport has said launching the facilities in May will help it meet an anticipated summer surge in passengers. In the same February statement, AAHK said the expanded terminal was being commissioned in phases to align with passenger traffic demand. ### What will passengers find inside the new setup? (hongkongairport.com) Eight new aisles in the Terminal 2 departures hall provide 160 check-in counters in total, according to the airport’s May 15 update. The terminal also includes self check-in and smartphone express bag-drop facilities in aisles R, S, T and U. (hongkongairport.com) E-Security Gates, immigration processing and the Automated People Mover are part of the departure flow tested on May 14. Steven Yiu, AAHK’s executive director for airport operations, said the exercise was intended to familiarise business partners with the layout, facilities and passenger departure processes of the new terminal. (hongkongairport.com) ### How do travelers get to Terminal 2? Twenty-nine airport bus routes will add a stop at the Terminal 2 departures level, the airport said. Airport Express trains will serve both terminal buildings, with doors opening on both sides of the platform for Terminal 2 and Terminal 1. Car Park 3 is directly linked to Terminal 2 by a short covered walkway, and the six-storey facility has more than 1,000 public parking spaces, according to the airport. (hongkongairport.com) Passengers arriving by taxi or private car can also be dropped off at the Terminal 2 departures kerbside. ### What has the airport done to prepare for opening day? (hongkongairport.com) On May 14, Hong Kong International Airport ran what Steven Yiu called the largest trial conducted before commissioning the Terminal 2 departure facilities. The airport said the drill covered the full passenger journey, from arrival by rail, bus, cross-boundary transport and private car to bag drop, check-in, security screening, immigration and transfer to gates. (hongkongairport.com) More than 1,100 participants from around 30 organisations joined that exercise, including airlines, ground handlers, government departments and Aviation Security Company Limited, the airport said. The first batch of passengers is due to depart from Terminal 2 on May 27, with the remaining airline moves continuing through June 10. (hongkongairport.com)