CCTV spotlights Hong Kong airport’s third runway expansion
HK01 · 2 SOURCES1 day ago6 MIN
Summary
A 25-minute documentary on Hong Kong International Airport’s three-runway system, titled "Soaring Hong Kong" and produced in collaboration with China Central Television, was broadcast on CCTV-4’s prime-time international slot on September 21, 2026. The programme traced the project from its 2016 start, explaining that the former two-runway system was nearing capacity limits and that the airport therefore reclaimed about 650 hectares north of the airport to build a third runway. Airport Authority Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Vivian Cheung Kar-fay (張李佳蕙) said the added capacity would allow the airport to plan more routes into Belt and Road markets including the Middle East, Central Asia, South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Airport Authority Chairman Fred Lam Tin-fuk (林天福) said the authority aims to use the three-runway system to expand Hong Kong’s international network and work towards annual capacity of 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo.
Key Points
- The documentary aired on CCTV-4 on September 21, 2026, in prime time, and was presented as a large-format feature on the three-runway system’s construction journey
- The film said the airport began the project in 2016, reclaiming about 650 hectares north of the airport using deep cement mixing methods described as efficient and environmentally minded
- The programme said works near Chinese white dolphin habitat were subject to stoppages whenever dolphins entered the monitoring zone, with construction resuming 30 minutes after they left
- It also featured the new Terminal 1 Concourse 2, opened this year, where modular units were manufactured on the mainland and shipped by barge to Hong Kong for assembly
- Interviewees included Vivian Cheung, Fred Lam and Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan, alongside Airport Authority engineers, sustainability staff and major contractors
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong, the documentary serves not only as a showcase of a major transport project but also as a statement about how the airport plans to grow beyond earlier capacity constraints. The emphasis on Greater Bay Area connectivity, Belt and Road route expansion and the SKYTOPIA airport city project points to a strategy that ties aviation growth to tourism, logistics and wider economic development.