Departure
96%
vs 95% ▲ 1
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Hong Kong International Airport, on the reclaimed island of Chek Lap Kok off the north shore of Lantau, is one of the world's busiest passenger and cargo hubs and the primary base for Cathay Pacific and several other Hong Kong carriers. For the simulator pilot it offers a dramatic three-runway operation over water, high-density radar and tower control, and a skyline of the Pearl River Delta as backdrop.
Hong Kong International Airport (ICAO VHHH, IATA HKG) serves the city of Hong Kong from the artificial island of Chek Lap Kok in the New Territories, replacing the old Kai Tak Airport when it opened on 6 July 1998. It is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong and functions as the principal hub for Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, Greater Bay Airlines and the cargo carrier Air Hong Kong, as well as a major Asia-Pacific gateway for UPS Air Cargo. For a virtual pilot the appeal lies in its scale: three long parallel runways built out into the sea, round-the-clock operations, and demanding but well-structured airspace shared with Macau and the wider Pearl River Delta.
The airport sits on reclaimed land at Chek Lap Kok, on the northern side of Lantau Island in Hong Kong, within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. It lies in dense, controlled terminal airspace shared with other Pearl River Delta airports including Macau and Shenzhen, and all arrivals and departures are handled under radar and tower control rather than informal joining procedures.
Hong Kong International Airport has three parallel physical runways aligned 07/25, all asphalt and lit. The northern runway, 07L/25R, is around 12,248 ft in length on the 07L threshold and about 13,016 ft on the 25R threshold, and is equipped with ILS in both directions. The southern runway, 07R/25L, measures roughly 11,937 ft as 07R and about 12,453 ft as 25L, again with ILS available both ways. The central runway, 07C/25C, is about 11,902 ft as 07C and 11,875 ft as 25C, lit but without a published ILS. Field elevation is 23 ft.
Hong Kong International is a fully controlled aerodrome with a comprehensive frequency structure. Aerodrome Flight Information/Flight Service is broadcast on 122.4 MHz. Approach control operates on 119.1 MHz and 119.5 MHz, with a director frequency, and arrival and departure ATIS are provided separately on 128.2 MHz and 127.05 MHz respectively. Area/zone control services include 120.6 MHz and clearance delivery on 129.9 MHz. Departure control uses 123.8 MHz, and radar services are available on 121.3 MHz and 133.7 MHz. Ground movement is split between north and south sectors on 121.6 MHz and 122.55 MHz, and tower control is likewise split into Tower North on 118.2 MHz and Tower South on 118.4 MHz. Hong Kong Guard, the common emergency frequency, is 121.5 MHz. Both the 07L/25R and 07R/25L runways are equipped with ILS for instrument approaches.
As a major international airport handling continuous heavy traffic, Hong Kong International does not operate a conventional visual circuit; all arriving and departing aircraft are sequenced by radar and tower control under instrument procedures, with north and south tower and ground frequencies used to manage the parallel runway operation.
The airport's most obvious visual feature is its position on reclaimed land projecting into the sea north of Lantau Island, with the three parallel east-west runways clearly visible against the surrounding water and the hills of Lantau to the south. The wider Pearl River Delta, including the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge to the west, provides useful orientation for a pilot approaching from seaward.
Hong Kong International Airport was built to replace the former Kai Tak Airport, which had opened in 1925 in the built-up Kowloon City District with a single runway extending into Kowloon Bay. By the 1990s Kai Tak had become one of the world's busiest airports despite its constrained site, and Chek Lap Kok was developed as its successor by flattening and levelling the former islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau and reclaiming a substantial area of adjacent seabed. The new airport opened on 6 July 1998 and has since grown into one of the world's busiest cargo gateways and passenger airports, latterly expanded to a three-runway system.
Hong Kong International Airport operates 24 hours a day as the main international gateway for Hong Kong, handling scheduled passenger and cargo services for more than 100 airlines. It remains the principal hub for Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong Airlines, HK Express, Greater Bay Airlines and Air Hong Kong, and a significant Asia-Pacific hub for UPS Airlines cargo operations. As a major controlled international aerodrome, prior permission is required for any general aviation or simulated visiting traffic.
