Hong Kong Policy Address: Travellers will no longer need to unpack carry-on luggage for airport security scans
Hong Kong Free Press
From next year, passengers at Hong Kong’s international airport will no longer have to unpack liquids and electronic devices from their carry-on luggage for security scanning, the chief executive has announced.
The upgrade is part of the Aviation Authority’s new “Smartlane” initiative, John Lee told lawmakers on Wednesday.
Lee said during his 2023 Policy Address on Wednesday that the move will make security screening “faster and more convenient.”
Meanwhile, by 2025, a new autonomous transportation system will be brought online to carry passengers along the Airport City Link from SKYCITY to the Hong Kong Port Island of the bridge to Macau. By 2028, it will be extended to Tung Chung Town Centre.
See also: Staff shortages and fee hikes dent Hong Kong’s plan to reboot air hub status
The airport will also introduce a Fly-Via-Zhuhai-Hong Kong passenger service, “so that Mainland and international passengers can enjoy seamless travel between the Mainland and other places in the world via Zhuhai and Hong Kong in an ‘air-land-air’ mode using the [Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge],” Lee announced.
The city’s airport has yet to regain its status as an international aviation hub following years of Covid-19 isolation, whilst tourism figures also remain lower than pre-pandemic levels.
In August, transport authorities approved almost 2,900 applications to import aviation industry workers under a scheme to ease a manpower crunch in the industry.
Support HKFP | Policies & Ethics | Error/typo? | Contact Us | Newsletter | Transparency & Annual Report | Apps
Help safeguard press freedom & keep HKFP free for all readers by supporting our team
