I write this Blog from my (very) Interim Bureau, onboard Cebu Pacific FJ 111 en route to Ninoy Aquino International Airport, gateway to Manila, the Philippines.
I checked in this morning at Terminal 2, where Cebu Pacific and several other airlines relocated their check-in this May.
Once checked-in, passengers currently clear immigration (I never worked out why people don’t call it emigration) and security in T2 before taking the internal Automated People Move to T1 for their flights.
That will all change in 2027, when T2’s gates open for flight departures.
Airport Authority Hong Kong has dubbed T2 as a ‘Playground on the Runway’ and once the commercial leasing agreements have been struck it will be clear whyAirport Authority Hong Kong is currently inviting offers for what it promises to be a shopping and dining offer with a difference as can be seen from the images below (look out for my more detailed report coming soon). No copy and paste, no familiar templates. Watch this space.
The T2 experience is a delight, a brilliantly conceived and seamless journey from entry to T1 departure.
It features stunning digital artwork and advertising, wide-open spaces and towering ceiling heights, an impressively eclectic food & beverage offer and an array of stores offering everything from travel essentials to destination merchandise.
Here, in photos and words, is the customer journey as I experienced it. ✈
After being dropped off by bus right outside T2 (above), I am straight into the gleaming Terminal 2 and (below) the first view of the food & beverage offer, a line-up clearly popular with airport workers
T2 offers a convenient connection to the Airport Express to the wondrous city that is Hong Kong. Today, however, I am headed further afield.Plentiful Flight Information Display screens offer all the latest T1 and T2 flight details.My first stop though is at the Hong Kong Airport Development Exhibition, which offers a fascinating history of aviation in the Special Adminstrative RegionIt’s now 90 years since the first scheduled commercial passenger flight in Hong Kong. That maiden voyage was from the former Kai Tak International Airport, legendary for its hair-raising flightpath into landing. In 1958, as passenger numbers burgeoned, a new runway was built, called Runway 13/31 (pictured below). It jutted out into Victoria Harbor, embracing a descent that generated the moniker ‘Kai Tak Heart Attack’.
Nostalgia abounds with these scenes from the airport’s history. Famed British pop group The Beatles arrived in Hong Kong in 1964 while the photo on the right from 1967 shows renowned Cantonese opera singer and actress Connie Chan Po-chu cast as a Cathay Pacific flight attendant in a movie called The Charming Bird. After the film’s release, the role of flight attendant became a dream job for many young Hong Kongers, reflecting the airport’s growing status as a symbol of Hong Kong’s modernisation and global connectivity.On 6 July 1998, Hong Kong International Airport opened at Chek Lap Kok, replacing Kai Tak. Industry newcomers may not even recognise the names of the first two duty-free retailers – Sky Connection (trading as Free Duty) ran the liquor & tobacco concession while Nuance-Watson managed perfumes & cosmetics and general merchandise. Nuance-Watson was a joint venture between local retail powerhouse A.S. Watson and The Nuance Group, the latter acquired by Dufry (now Avolta), in 2014.(Left) 27 May 2026 was a red-letter day for Hong Kong International as the reconfigured Terminal 2 commenced operations. I was privileged to be on hand on opening day, as captured in my Blog below. (Centre and right) Skytopia takes shape: This magnficent Airport City will eventually feature an Airport Bay Marina, a Marine Resort, Aquatic Entertainment, and even an Art & Valuables Storage Facility (including regular art exhibitions).Click on the image to read my initial impressions of Terminal 2 from that historic day in MayAirport Authority Hong Kong is acutely aware of its environmental responsibilities and is striving arduously to protect and enhance marine habitats‘Connecting Infinite Possibilities’ the signage declares in an emphatic statement of ambition.This installation highlights Hong Kong International Airport’s world-leading status as an air cargo hub as well as critical new infrastructure including the North Runway and a state-of-the-art Air Traffic Control Tower.(Above and below) Art and Wellness Elevated: By the time it is fully functional, T2 and the wider HKIA estate will offer an extraordinary range of services and activities.
It’s time to head upstairs to check-inWhere I am welcomed by bright, multi-hued signage(Above) High-impact digital installations promote Hong Kong’s world-renowned marine life, including the famous pink dolphins (officially known as Chinese White Dolphins). The dolphins turn pink as they age due to surface blood vessels that regulate their temperature. (Below) The giant screens also offer advertising opportunities for international and local brands and houses.
Check-in and bag drop at the Cebu Pacific desks is fast and efficientI could be in danger of missing my flight thanks to being entranced by the wonder of the beautiful digital tapestries
It’s been an early start so I need some pre-flight sustenance. As you can see, there’s no shortage of options.By the look of things, it was also an early start for these two passengers At least there is plenty of sustenance to revive them when they awake.But as I’m bound for Manila, there can only be one choice for me – perennial Filipino favourite Jollibee, offering some of the most flavoursome chicken on the planetDigital ordering makes for fast and convenient serviceBringing joy, Jollibee-style, to the travel experienceWhat a magnificent backdrop. Am I really in an airport?I sure am and there is the departures sign to prove it. What a delightful way to farewell passengers.
(Above and below) Quick and easy immigrationPlentiful belts make for a similarly stress-less security experience (and, yes, that officer in the picture is telling me, quite rightly, not to take photos)Did you know that Hong Kong International boasts the world’s best airport toilets? Well it does, according to the 2026 Skytrax World Airport Awards, ranking ahead of Changi, Tokyo Haneda, Incheon, Bahrain, New Chitose, Tokyo Narita, Taiwan Taoyuan, Fukuoka and Kansai airports. Not a single African, European or Americas airport in the top ten. Hmmm. It’s time to transfer to T1 and its fulsome shopping offer, nicely previewed along the way
An Automated People Mover whisks passengers to T1 every few minutes.And now, at least until some time in 2027, the T2 experience delivers me seamlessly into the splendour of T1 and the fine shopping experience that awaits. I avail myself of the opportunity by buying a fine Speyburn 15 Year Old Scotch single malt whisky from Duty Zero by cdf, an enterprise I consider among my top five airport duty-free liquor & tobacco businesses worldwide.
I adore the colour of the Venchi store as well as the quality of these great Italian chocolates and gelato
Plentiful Flight Information Display screens offer all the latest T1 and T2 flight details.
