Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has confirmed that its rebuilt Terminal 2 will fully reopen in May and is expected to process about 15 million travellers by year-end, with a medium-term target of doubling that to 30 million. The terminal is part of HKIA’s HK$141.5 billion three-runway system and landside expansion that broke ground in 2016.
Speaking on 20 February, Airport Authority board member and legislator Rock Chen Chung-nin said 15 airlines—mostly low-cost and emerging carriers such as HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines—will migrate their check-in counters to Terminal 2. The move frees prime real estate in Terminal 1 for long-haul and premium carriers, a key step in HKIA’s post-pandemic strategy to recapture business-traveller traffic and long-haul connections lost to regional rivals during prolonged Covid-19 restrictions.
The rebuilt terminal will be far more automated than its 1998 predecessor. Self-service bag-drop machines, facial-recognition boarding gates and end-to-end biometrics will allow most passengers—especially tech-savvy short-haul flyers—to move from curb to airside in under 25 minutes, according to airport projections. Terminal 2 will also connect directly to the SkyPier ferry terminal and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Passenger Clearance Building, giving transfer passengers landside-to-airside connection times as short as 60 minutes.
![Hong Kong airport’s revamped Terminal 2 set to handle 15 million passengers in 2026]()
With the surge of new routes and transfer options, travellers should remember that smooth journeys begin long before arriving at the terminal. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) quickly checks visa and transit requirements for Hong Kong and hundreds of other destinations, prepares the necessary paperwork, and tracks applications in real time—helping both frequent flyers and first-time visitors avoid last-minute surprises.
For corporate mobility managers, the redistribution of check-in counters means better slot availability for new long-haul services in Terminal 1, potentially easing pressure on premium-class award inventories to Europe and North America. Businesses with large intra-Asia travel volumes can expect sharper fare competition among the low-cost carriers clustered in Terminal 2. In addition, HKIA has earmarked floor space for a common-user premium lounge and added 30% more immigration e-channels, which should shorten peak-hour queues that frustrated road-warriors throughout 2025.
Construction of the adjacent automated people-mover extension and underground baggage handling system remains on schedule. Once complete, HKIA will be able to handle 120 million passengers a year—double its 2019 peak—solidifying Hong Kong’s role as a multimodal gateway between the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world.
Speaking on 20 February, Airport Authority board member and legislator Rock Chen Chung-nin said 15 airlines—mostly low-cost and emerging carriers such as HK Express, Hong Kong Airlines and Greater Bay Airlines—will migrate their check-in counters to Terminal 2. The move frees prime real estate in Terminal 1 for long-haul and premium carriers, a key step in HKIA’s post-pandemic strategy to recapture business-traveller traffic and long-haul connections lost to regional rivals during prolonged Covid-19 restrictions.
The rebuilt terminal will be far more automated than its 1998 predecessor. Self-service bag-drop machines, facial-recognition boarding gates and end-to-end biometrics will allow most passengers—especially tech-savvy short-haul flyers—to move from curb to airside in under 25 minutes, according to airport projections. Terminal 2 will also connect directly to the SkyPier ferry terminal and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge Passenger Clearance Building, giving transfer passengers landside-to-airside connection times as short as 60 minutes.
With the surge of new routes and transfer options, travellers should remember that smooth journeys begin long before arriving at the terminal. VisaHQ’s online platform (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) quickly checks visa and transit requirements for Hong Kong and hundreds of other destinations, prepares the necessary paperwork, and tracks applications in real time—helping both frequent flyers and first-time visitors avoid last-minute surprises.
For corporate mobility managers, the redistribution of check-in counters means better slot availability for new long-haul services in Terminal 1, potentially easing pressure on premium-class award inventories to Europe and North America. Businesses with large intra-Asia travel volumes can expect sharper fare competition among the low-cost carriers clustered in Terminal 2. In addition, HKIA has earmarked floor space for a common-user premium lounge and added 30% more immigration e-channels, which should shorten peak-hour queues that frustrated road-warriors throughout 2025.
Construction of the adjacent automated people-mover extension and underground baggage handling system remains on schedule. Once complete, HKIA will be able to handle 120 million passengers a year—double its 2019 peak—solidifying Hong Kong’s role as a multimodal gateway between the Greater Bay Area and the rest of the world.
