HKIA rolls out smartphone express bag drop service

The service is available to all passengers in Hong Kong.

The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has launched a smartphone express bag drop service.

The service enables passengers to directly drop their bags at express bag drop counters in under 1 minute, compared to the average 3 minutes in airline counters or smart check-in kiosks.

Users will be able to complete online check-in and scan their travel documents with their smartphones before arriving at the airport.

All HK Express passengers can use the airline’s app for the Smartphone Express Bag Drop Service. 

Starting from 1 August, Cathay Pacific will also offer the service to passengers for all destinations, except the United States.

Hong Kong Airlines expects to provide the service by the end of 2024.

As of August 2024, the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is the only airport where passports are able to complete all departure procedures using only their smartphones and facial recognition technology, the HKIA said in a press release. 

All passengers aged 11 or above travelling on a visa-free journey can enjoy this new service and use Flight Token with their electronic travel documents.

These include Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) passports issued after 14 May 2019; Mainland Travel Permits for Hong Kong and Macao residents, or Home Return Permits; electronic passports issued by all other countries or regions, or Mainland residents’ exit-entry permits for travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macao with valid endorsements for visit.

Looking ahead, AAHK said that it plans to extend this service to more airlines.