Hong Kong airport: arrivals, departures and connections
Find your next step at Hong Kong International Airport: arriving, departing, connecting or getting help. Check your flight and service details with the airport, airline or operator before travelling.
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What do I do after landing in Hong Kong?#
If you are entering Hong Kong, follow Arrivals to immigration, collect your checked bags from the carousel shown for your flight, then pass customs into the public Arrivals Hall. Have your Hong Kong identity card or valid travel document ready. Check entry requirements separately before travelling.
Before joining the arrivals route, confirm whether you are instead connecting to another flight or using an eligible SkyPier transfer. Those passengers follow different instructions; a SkyPier ferry passenger must not clear Hong Kong immigration or reclaim baggage first.
Should I take Airport Express, a bus or a taxi?#
Choose by your final address, luggage and onward connections. Airport Express serves Tsing Yi, Kowloon and Hong Kong stations; check how you will continue from the station. An airport bus may stop closer to your destination: check the exact stop and next departure with its operator.
For a taxi, use the official stand and confirm your destination and accepted payment before setting off. For several travellers, compare the total train tickets with a metered taxi journey. Check luggage capacity and any assistance you need rather than assuming one vehicle will suit everyone.
How do I get into Hong Kong if I arrive late at night?#
MTR’s timetable, effective from 13 September 2026, lists the last Airport Express from the airport toward the city at 00:48 and the first at 05:54. These are Hong Kong times. Allow for immigration, baggage collection and the walk to the platform; your flight’s landing time is not your train boarding time.
If the train no longer fits, check an overnight bus for your exact destination and departure time, or use the official taxi stand. Do not assume every overnight route runs continuously through the night.
What if my checked baggage is missing or damaged?#
Ask your airline or the Baggage Enquiry Desk in the centre of the Baggage Reclaim Hall for help with a missing or damaged checked bag. Do this while you are still in the reclaim area, and confirm with the airline how to follow up.
If you left an item on the aircraft, contact your airline or its handling agent. For something lost elsewhere in the terminal, use Airport Lost and Found. These are different services, so explain where the item was last seen.
How do I get online before buying a SIM?#
Most terminal seating and public areas have free Wi-Fi without registration. Select #HKAirport Free WiFi or #HKAirport Hi-Speed WiFi and accept the connection terms in your browser. If the first network is not listed, HKIA also identifies Wi-Fi.HK via HKAirport.
If connection fails, switch Wi-Fi off and on, or ask at a Customer Service Counter. Airport shops and counters also sell local SIM cards or rent pocket Wi-Fi; check the official listing for locations and opening hours. The separate arrival guide explains local SIM registration.
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Where should someone meet me after my flight?#
Use your flight number to check the airport displays for the assigned exit, Arrivals Hall A or B in Terminal 1. HKIA suggests the small gardens near the two exits as meeting places. Agree a particular hall and landmark with the person meeting you once the exit is known.
Allow time after landing for immigration and baggage collection. A prebooked taxi uses a separate pickup area beside Car Park 1; confirm the operator’s instructions rather than assuming that a driver will wait at the public arrivals exit.
Which departure terminal should I use, and when should I arrive?#
Check your operating airline and flight in HKIA’s current airline directory before travelling. Departures use both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2; T2 check-in does not mean a T2 boarding gate. Follow the airport route to your assigned gate. Ask your airline for its recommended arrival time, bag-drop deadline and gate-closing time: they are different deadlines. Online check-in does not remove document checks or bag drop. Late at night, follow staff instructions because the automated train does not run all night.
What should I check before packing my cabin bag?#
Your airline sets cabin-bag size, weight and piece limits. At HKIA, ordinary liquids, gels and aerosols need containers of no more than 100 ml, together in one transparent resealable bag of no more than one litre. Medicines, baby milk or food and special dietary items may be exempt, subject to verification. Smart scanners do not remove the liquid limit; follow instructions at your lane. Power banks belong in cabin baggage, with at most two per person. Do not recharge them during the flight; check battery capacity limits, required airline approval and any additional airline rules.
How do I transfer to another flight at HKIA?#
If you already have the onward boarding pass, follow Transfer signs and pass transfer security before going to the gate. Without it, check that your airline has a transfer desk and obtain the pass there. Confirm at your first airport where checked bags are tagged to. There is no single connection time suitable for every flight: ask the airline about your exact itinerary, including assistance needs. Check Hong Kong’s entry/transit rules for your travel document before booking; some travellers need permission even when remaining in the airport’s restricted area.
Can I stay airside when my flights are on separate tickets?#
Ask both airlines about onward check-in, baggage transfer and help if a flight is delayed; separate bookings do not by themselves confirm these arrangements. You may need to enter Hong Kong, collect bags and check in again. Eligible journeys can instead use paid HKIA Connects with a participating onward airline. Reserve at least 48 hours ahead and wait for acceptance. Its minimum connection is 150 minutes, and you must also reach its counter at least 150 minutes before departure. Allow extra time to get there. You must still satisfy Hong Kong’s entry requirements.
Is SkyPier the ferry terminal for a visit to Hong Kong?#
No. SkyPier serves eligible transfers between flights and cross-boundary ferries or coaches within a controlled airport route; it is not a public ferry terminal for journeys starting in Hong Kong. After flying in, go to the transfer counter before Hong Kong immigration and normal baggage reclaim, and present your baggage tags. Clearing immigration breaks this transfer route. Check the operator’s participating airlines, destination documents, sailing or coach, baggage arrangements and minimum connection time before booking. A SkyPier coach transfer is different from taking a landside bus at the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge port.
What should I do if a delay threatens my connection?#
Check your airline’s flight status and messages, then contact its transfer desk or the agent that issued your ticket. Ask which onward flight and baggage arrangements are confirmed before leaving the restricted area. Rebooking, meals and accommodation depend on your ticket, airline, route and circumstances; do not assume a separate onward booking is protected. A through-checked bag is not proof of missed-connection cover. Keep receipts and the written arrangements. Unless your airline confirms otherwise, do not treat a delayed departure as permission to arrive later for check-in.
Where can I feed or change my baby, and borrow a stroller?#
Use HKIA’s nursing-room directory to find feeding and changing facilities in your current terminal, checking each location’s access area before setting off. Free infant strollers with luggage storage are available inside the restricted area without a reservation.
A separate baby-stroller hire service through your airline or ALLWAYS is chargeable. Ask a Customer Services Centre for the nearest suitable room or stroller point; do not assume a free stroller can be collected before security or that one has been reserved for you.
How do I arrange a wheelchair or travel with my own mobility aid?#
Contact your airline or travel agent before travelling to pre-book wheelchair assistance and agree the meeting point, such as the terminal kerbside, Airport Express platform or check-in counter. HKIA describes this airline-arranged service as complimentary; a separate pre-booked ALLWAYS service is chargeable.
If you use a battery-powered wheelchair, ask the airline to confirm its battery and carriage requirements before departure. Requirements can differ between airlines. Tell them which parts of the journey you need help with, including any transfer.
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What if I need more time, clearer communication or sensory support?#
Tell a Customer Services Centre what would make your journey easier. HKIA’s voluntary Sunflower scheme offers free lanyards at designated centres to signal a need for additional support; you do not have to disclose a condition or show medical documents.
For hearing support, induction loops are provided at departure gates, Automated People Mover platforms and customer-service counters. Ask staff about the Sensory Corner and whether you can reach it from your current access area. A lanyard does not replace an assistance booking with your airline.
I left something in the terminal. Who should I contact?#
For an item lost in the terminal, contact Airport Lost and Found on +852 2182 2018. Its office is Room 5A005 on Terminal 1’s Arrivals Level 5, currently open 07:00–23:59. Have a description and the likely place and time of loss ready.
Items left on an aircraft belong with your airline or its handling agent, while a missing checked bag should go to the Baggage Enquiry Desk or airline. These are separate enquiries; reporting an item does not guarantee its recovery.
Where can I rest during a long or overnight wait?#
Check whether a rest option is in the public area or beyond departure controls before walking there. HKIA lists resting lounges near departure gates for departing and transit passengers, and paid or airline lounges with their own admission conditions. The airport currently says there is no transit hotel inside its restricted area.
For a hotel room, check a nearby hotel directly and confirm whether your journey allows you to enter Hong Kong. Ask airport staff for a suitable rest area if you need help; seats and beds are not guaranteed.
How do I get medical help at the airport?#
For a medical emergency, call 999 and alert nearby airport staff; give your terminal, level, nearest gate or landmark, and what happened. For other medical help, ask staff about the Airport Medical Centre or call Raffles Medical on +852 2261 2626.
HKIA distinguishes 24-hour first-aid and stretcher services from doctor consultations, currently 07:00–23:59. The Medical Post near Gate 34 is nurse-supported, has shorter hours and may close during emergency callouts. Confirm the appropriate location, current service and fees with the provider.