Hong Kong International Airport

HKG VHHH  Hong Kong, China

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HKG at a glance

  • What it is: Hong Kong International Airport is a major international airport serving Hong Kong, China.
  • Codes: HKG on your ticket, VHHH on the radar.
  • How busy: the reference profile lists about 53.1 million annual passengers across 3 runways.
  • Main airline: Cathay Pacific bases aircraft here.
  • Right now: 9 aircraft are within 55 km, shown live on the map above.
  • Local time zone: Asia/Hong_Kong (UTC+8), so every time shown for HKG is local rather than UTC.

Aircraft observed near HKG

9 aircraft are within 55 km of HKG right now. This is live ADS-B traffic, not a published timetable: aircraft are classified by what they are physically doing - Climbing out, on approach, or holding at cruise overhead. For gate numbers and scheduled times, check with HKG directly or your airline.

Departing now

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
HKE235 — route not published on stand or taxiing — 1 kts
CRK627 — route not published on stand or taxiing — 3 kts
CPA883 Cathay Pacific route not published on stand or taxiing — 13 kts
UPS15 — route not published climbing out 8,300 ft 309 kts

Arriving now

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
C0103A — route not published on approach 3,050 ft 236 kts
HKE629 — route not published on approach 3,400 ft 208 kts
780A7F — route not published on approach 2,450 ft 238 kts
CSS6848 — route not published on approach 1,075 ft 127 kts

Overhead and in the area

FlightOperatorRouteStatusAltitudeSpeed
FDX5158 FedEx Express route not published in the area 25,025 ft 367 kts
53.1M
Annual passengers (reference)
3
Runways
2
Terminals
28 ft
Field elevation

About HKG

Built on the reclaimed island of Chek Lap Kok, it replaced the famous Kai Tak airport in 1998. It has been the world's busiest cargo airport for most of the past two decades. A third runway, completed in 2024, restores its capacity as Cathay Pacific's global hub.

Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok opened on July 6, 1998, replacing the legendary Kai Tak, whose checkerboard approach between apartment towers had become aviation folklore. The new airport was the centerpiece of the Airport Core Programme, one of the most expensive infrastructure undertakings in history: Chek Lap Kok island was flattened and expanded several times over with reclaimed land.

New bridges, tunnels, highways and a dedicated Airport Express railway were built to reach it. Norman Foster's Terminal 1 was among the largest enclosed spaces ever constructed when it opened.

The airport quickly became the home fortress of Cathay Pacific and one of Asia's great transfer points. For most years since 2010 it has ranked as the busiest cargo airport in the world.

Terminal 2 opened in 2007, and the SkyPier ferry terminal knitted the Pearl River Delta into its catchment. The most ambitious expansion came with the third runway, built on yet more reclaimed land: the new strip opened in 2022 and the full three-runway system was commissioned in late 2024, positioning the airport for its next decades of growth.

How HKG operates today

Hong Kong now operates a three-runway system on its man-made island off Lantau, with Terminal 1 handling most passenger flights and the expanded Terminal 2 complex coming back on line with the third runway. It is the global hub of Cathay Pacific and home to HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines.

Its cargo apron hosts one of the world's great freighter operations, anchored by Cathay Cargo and major express carriers. SkyPier ferries let Pearl River Delta passengers connect airside without clearing Hong Kong immigration. The Airport Express train reaches Central in under half an hour.

Top routes from HKG

DestinationMain airlinesWhy it matters
Taipei (TPE) Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Air Long ranked among the busiest international routes in the world.
Bangkok (BKK) Cathay Pacific, Thai Airways, Emirates A dense leisure and connecting artery, including Emirates' famous fifth-freedom leg.
Shanghai (PVG) Cathay Pacific, China Eastern A vital business bridge between Hong Kong and mainland China's commercial capital.
Singapore (SIN) Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines, Scoot Links Asia's two great financial hubs in a fiercely competitive market.
Beijing (PEK) Cathay Pacific, Air China The premium corridor to China's capital for government and corporate travel.

Facts about HKG

  • The airport rests almost entirely on reclaimed land; Chek Lap Kok island was leveled and expanded to several times its original size.
  • The Airport Core Programme that built it ranks among the most expensive infrastructure projects ever undertaken.
  • It has been the world's busiest cargo airport for most years since 2010.
  • Ferry passengers from the Pearl River Delta can connect to flights via SkyPier without ever passing through Hong Kong immigration.

Plane spotting at HKG

The Tung Chung waterfront and the hills above the cargo area give clear views across the runways, with Cathay widebodies and an endless stream of freighters set against Lantau's mountains. New to spotting? Start with our aircraft identification guide and the world's best spotting airports.

IATA / ICAO
HKG / VHHH
Location
Hong Kong, China 22.308, 113.918
Time zone
Asia/Hong_Kong
Opened
1998
Hub for
Cathay Pacific, HK Express
Website
www.hongkongairport.com

Airlines hubbed at HKG

CX · CPA Cathay Pacific China

Tracked flights using HKG

Selected scheduled services whose curated route starts, ends or stops at Hong Kong International Airport.

FlightRouteTypical aircraft
CX888 HKG → JFK Airbus A350-1000Track CX888 →
CX255 HKG → LHR Airbus A350-1000Track CX255 →
CX880 HKG → LAX Boeing 777-300ERTrack CX880 →
CX100 HKG → SYD Airbus A350-900Track CX100 →
CX520 HKG → NRT Airbus A330-300Track CX520 →
CA125 PEK → HKG Airbus A330-300Track CA125 →
AK130 KUL → HKG Airbus A321neoTrack AK130 →
FX6049 HKG → MEM Boeing 777FTrack FX6049 →

Nearby and related airports

Geographically close airports and useful alternatives in China.

CAN Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport Guangzhou, China TPE Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Taipei, Taiwan HAN Noi Bai International Airport Hanoi, Vietnam MNL Ninoy Aquino International Airport Manila, Philippines SHA Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport Shanghai, China PVG Shanghai Pudong International Airport Shanghai, China PEK Beijing Capital International Airport Beijing, China

More airports and guides connected to HKG

Most of the tails you see here belong to Cathay Pacific. It ranks among the world's busiest fields, which we compare in the busiest airports ranked. Nearby, Guangzhou (CAN) serves the same country. The codes HKG and VHHH are explained in airport codes decoded.

Data sources and review

Reviewed 2026-07-29 by Flight-Tracker.net Editorial Team

Passenger, runway, terminal and hub figures are maintained as a reviewed reference snapshot, not a live operational record. Check the airport directly before travelling.

Read our airport data sourcing and review process, or inspect the machine-readable reference dataset.

Frequently asked questions about HKG

What is the airport code for Hong Kong International Airport?

Hong Kong International Airport uses the IATA code HKG on tickets and baggage tags, and the ICAO code VHHH in flight plans and on radar. The leading “V” in VHHH is the region marker: ICAO codes are grouped geographically, which is why airports near each other usually share their first letter or two while their IATA codes look unrelated.

How many runways does HKG have?

Hong Kong International Airport operates 3 runways across 2 passenger terminals. The field sits at 28 ft above sea level.

How busy is HKG?

This reference profile lists roughly 53.1 million annual passengers for Hong Kong International Airport. You can see aircraft observed departing, arriving and overhead on this page, taken from live ADS-B broadcasts.

Which airlines are based at HKG?

Cathay Pacific treat HKG as a hub or major base. Many other carriers serve the airport without basing aircraft there.

How many terminals does HKG have?

This reference lists Hong Kong International Airport with 2 passenger terminals. Check the airport or operating airline for the terminal assigned to a specific flight.

What time zone is HKG in?

Hong Kong International Airport runs on Asia/Hong_Kong, currently UTC+8. Flight trackers work in UTC internally, so the seven-day history on our flight pages is stamped UTC while the boards on this page are in HKG local time - worth remembering when the two disagree by a whole calendar day.

Can I track flights at HKG live?

Yes. The map on this page shows every aircraft broadcasting its position within about 55 km of Hong Kong International Airport, and there are 9 in range as this page loaded. The boards split them into departures, arrivals and traffic passing overhead, all timed in Asia/Hong_Kong.