Today is the Winter Solstice, one of the most important festivals for the Chinese community. First and foremost, I would like to wish everyone a joyful and peaceful reunion on this special occasion. Following the Winter Solstice, we have Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Year holidays around the corner. My colleagues and industry friends have already made full preparations for the seamless flow of people and goods, ensuring everyone can enjoy this festive season with their families and friends.
Aviation Capacity Restored to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) successfully operated all three runways simultaneously last month, just in time for the Christmas peak. I believe some of you may have already set off last night as the Airport Authority anticipates that we will see a peak in departures this weekend.
Another piece of good news to share is that the Airport Authority expects daily passenger traffic to reach pre-pandemic peak of approximately 200,000 passengers during Christmas. In fact, we have reached 1,150 flight movements today, which is very close to the pre-pandemic 1,200 daily movement and these all reflect that the airport’s capacity has been fully restored. Local airlines are actively exploring new destinations to support the expansion of HKIA’s network, in order to provide more choices for travellers. To inject new demand into HKIA, we have launched direct passenger services to Xining, Zhoushan, Huangshan, and Yichang in Mainland China; Vientiane, Laos; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Sendai and Yonago, Japan; and Cairns, Australia earlier this year. Local airlines will also open direct flights in phases to the Gold Coast, Australia; Dallas, the US; Hyderabad, India; Munich, Germany; and Brussels, Belgium next year.
World-Class Temperature-Controlled Logistics
As the flow of people at HKIA is bustling, the achievements in our logistics industry are equally undeniable. Earlier, I celebrated Christmas with colleagues from my bureau and shared with them seasonal fruits from around the world. Hong Kong’s fruit market gathers top-quality produce with strict temperature requirements from the five continents, all at reasonable prices and arriving fresh to customers. This is made possible by Hong Kong’s world-class and highly efficient air transportation facilities, which clearly demonstrate the city’s advantages in air freight, especially in temperature-controlled logistics.
The Christmas holiday is filled with opportunities for gatherings and feasts. I invite everyone to take the chance to experience the convenience of Hong Kong’s temperature-controlled logistics, enjoying global cuisine right here in the city. The high-quality temperature-controlled goods in Hong Kong not only benefit the 7.8 million residents but also extend their reach to the 86 million people in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).
By the end of next year, the Airport Authority will complete the first phase of the permanent facilities for the “HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park” aiming to gradually handle 1 million tons of cargo annually. To meet the growing demand in the GBA for fresh food, such as high-value frozen tuna, salmon and other seafood, the Airport Authority is working with the Dongguan Municipal Government to establish a new customs-designated supervision area for fresh food at the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park. The Dongguan Municipal Government has received approval from the General Administration of Customs of People’s Republic of China to establish a new designated customs supervision site for fresh food at the Logistics Park. Facilities such as refrigerated storage and inspection areas are currently being prepared for construction.
As the world’s busiest cargo airport, HKIA has always made me proud. In 2023, HKIA handled 4.3 million tonnes of cargo. This year, the growth momentum continues, with 4.5 million tonnes of cargo processed in the first eleven months alone, surpassing the total cargo volume for the entire previous year. HKIA was named “Cargo Airport of the Year – Asia Pacific” and “Air Cargo Technology Provider of The Year” at the 11th Payload Asia Awards, held in Singapore. I hope HKIA continues their excellent work, propelling both passenger and cargo services to new heights.
Welcoming travellers of Shenzhen’s Multiple-Entry Individual Visit Scheme
The central government has resumed the multiple-entry Individual Visit Scheme (IVS) for Shenzhen permanent residents and is implementing a new arrangement to expand the multiple-entry IVS to Shenzhen residence permit holders on December 1. In addition, various exciting activities are taking place across Hong Kong in December, including the New Year’s Eve countdown fireworks display, and it is expected that the number of visitors to Hong Kong will significantly increase during that period. I sincerely invite travellers from the Mainland and overseas to stay a few more days in Hong Kong to experience the charm of this metropolitan city and the unique blend of Eastern and Western Christmas atmosphere.
We have also made arrangements for transportation on New Year’s Eve. The Transport Department will coordinate with the opening hours of boundary control points to enhance transportation services connecting various ports, including increasing the frequency of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge shuttle bus (Gold Bus), the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang cross-boundary shuttle bus service. Public transport operators will increase their capacity. The Mass Transit Railway (MTR) Corporation will not only provide overnight service on most railway lines on New Year’s Eve but also extend the service of the East Rail Line to and from the MTR Lo Wu Station. There will be a bus route between MTR Sheung Shui Station and San Tin Public Transport Interchange to facilitate East Rail Line passengers in using the 24-hour crossing at Lok Ma Chau/Huanggang after the service to Lo Wu concludes.
Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all citizens a sweet and warm Christmas, and to carry the joy into 2025. I also want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who will be on duty in various locations during the holiday period to serve the public.
Secretary for Transport & Logistics Mable Chan wrote this article and posted it on her blog on December 21.
