warakorn

Well of course -> arriving and departing passengers should be seperated. Exception are currently made for domestic arrivals (e.g. in China, US) and Schengen/EU arrivals, which usually arrive right in the airside departure area. That should be ok, since the security check is performed at the origin airport at the same standard as in the connecting airport.

However, my problem is that passengers in the departure airside area (after security, after exit immigration) ARE NOT ALLOWED to exit the airport via entry immigration/customs checkpoints. That stupid rule exists in HKG, PVG and also (to my knowledge at NRT and ICN).
That creates headaches in case of IRROPS.

In FRA, LHR T3/T4, JFK, LAX, MUC, CPH, CDG departing passengers are always allowed to leave the airport again (sometimes having to pass through entry immigration checkpoints). At LHR T5 this is not allowed. I am not sure about LHR T2.
In FRA, LHR T3/T4, JFK, LAX, MUC, CPH, CDG arriving and departing passengers are usually seperated (with exceptions I listed above), when arriving from an international non-cleared origin airport.

I recently had an IRROP situation at CPH, where I had to leave the airport. I left at a time, which was convenient to me, and grabbed some snacks in the lounge.
Something like that wouldn't be possible at HKG.

NickB

True for intra-schengen flights, which are quasi-domestic, but far less universal for non-Schengen flights.

Development

There are escorts from customer service area out of LHR T5 every hour.

longliveKA

HKG set up is ridiculous. ICN allows it, you just need to sign your name on a form at the stairs/ lift going down to arrivals. I think it's more of a "sintax error" , "no you can't do that, it's against the rules" in the HK immigration's civil servants brains thing. The airport/immigration dept has no business deciding if I just want to drop my flight or simply go back landside as long as I have the proper paperwork done. There should be a permanent desk for such things.

percysmith

Officially, it's allowed, with the "assistance from their own airline" (if you're interested in doing this you're best advised to get your own copy of that email from Customer Service at hongkongairport.com to show security when they try to say no.

I don't see the above requirement being too brutal, when I was walked out of TPE restricted area I was accompanied by KA's ground agent. It may have to do with airport security making sure the airline knows I am "out" and have to be readmitted.

I'd wonder will CX provide such assistance lately though, with all the ridiculous bruhahaha over the Chief Executive's daughter in a similar airline discretion incident Hong Kong First Family forces CX to break airport safety rules . Staff have lost their common sense due to a local political event.

hikouki

I once got delayed out of MNL, connecting via HKG to LAX.

For some reason, the MNL staff's solution is to hold everyone hostage, bags and all until everyone can be dumped en masse at HKG. Reason for delay, btw is a malfunctioning passenger door. It was a mess at the lounge as business passengers and MPC members all tried to haggle to be put on alternative flights. (I was booked on business and a MPC SL at that time). Ground staff and even the gate manager denied the existence of alternative flights. :roll eyes: The next flight departing out of MNL ended up being full, not because of passengers transferred from my flight, but because of the entire crew on my original flight being flow back to home base (after meeting the end of their duty time).

Anyway, in HKG I experienced almost the same thing as the OP. I was given a hotel voucher for a smelly room at Regal Airport, and a seat on next day's flight onwards to LAX.