CE Lee lays out plans to position HK as an int'l shipping centre and aviation hub

Chief Executive John Lee said the government will press ahead with the Three‑Runway System under the "Airport City" vision.

The government will publish an action plan later this year to develop Hong Kong into a leading international maritime centre.

The action plan to be published by the Transport and Logistics Bureau aims to "enhance high‑end maritime services, facilitate transformation towards zero emission, promote smart initiatives and digitalisation in the maritime industry, and promote exchanges and collaboration among maritime industries in the GBA and around the world," said Chief Executive John Lee in his policy address.

"The bureau will also promote the development of high value‑added maritime services by coordinating the efforts of various government departments and stakeholders to spearhead maritime development from an industry‑oriented perspective," he added.

Lee also announced that the city will enhance its cooperation with various international maritime organisations, including deepening the operation of the Baltic & International Maritime Council ( BIMCO) and the International Chamber of Shipping in Hong Kong to strengthen its role as a "gateway for international maritime enterprises and organisations to enter the Mainland market.”

Speaking on efforts to position Hong Kong to be an international aviation hub, Lee said the government will "press ahead with the Three‑Runway System and various projects under the ‘Airport City’ vision, including SKYCITY, the premium logistics centre at the South Cargo Precinct and the smart airport, for developing core passenger and cargo transport services."

“We will open up opportunities for cargo transport. Operating on a pilot basis, the HKIA Logistics Park, set up by the AAHK in Dongguan, allows export cargo from the Mainland to go through security screening, palletisation and cargo acceptance in advance in Dongguan before being transported by sea to HKIA for export by air, without the need to repeat screening procedures and thereby achieving savings in time and operating cost. 

“The operation has been smooth to date, and the AAHK plans to complete the first‑phase construction of a permanent facility for the logistics park by end‑2025 so that the cargo handling capacity will reach one million tonnes per annum," added Lee.

The AAHK will likewise introduce an autonomous transportation system to carry passengers along the Airport City Link connecting SKYCITY and the Hong Kong Port Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge from 2025 onwards and plans to extend the system to Tung Chung Town Centre in 2028.

Lee added that the AAHK will streamline the screening of carry‑on luggage by introducing “Smartlane” gradually next year so that passengers will not need to take out such items as liquid and electronic devices from their luggage during aviation security screening.