theworld

Interesting article:

http://www.ejinsight.com/20140918-ho...rt-competition

"Around 40 percent of passengers departing from HKIA are now told to board planes from the apron". Had no idea the number was so high.

"HKIA added its Terminal Two, at the north side of the existing terminal, in the same year. Yet the irony is that, the HK$2.8 billion (US$360 million) new terminal in Hong Kong is not a genuine one as it has no boarding gates at all. Departing passengers must take the automated people mover (APM) or buses to Terminal 1 for boarding. One wonders, what’s the point of building such a facility? Walk into the building, and indeed you realize it is more of a shopping mall than anything else."

"In 2009 it finished the North Satellite Concourse, a mini terminal located to the north of Terminal One mainly for mainland-bound flights. There is no APM connecting the two buildings and passengers, having been told to go through immigration and security checks in Terminal 1, will have to take shuttle buses there to board their planes. The construction cost of the 20,000-square meter facility is HK$1 billion and it just has ten frontal stands for narrow-bodied aircraft."

garykung

This surge is the result of the IVS from the Mainland.

Many Mainland-bound routes use narrow-body jets like 737s or A319/20/21s. Gates at HKG are designed for wide-body jets. So apron boarding is not a bad use of resource.

T2 is designed for non-mainstream airlines. IMHO - the use of the name "T2" is for better identification.

(T1 uses letter to represent check-in areas. So if you use the same principal, travelers may confuse the check-in area.)

You build a APM for a 2-minute bus ride? Waste of money.

:D!

Is it possible to visit the 500 gates without actually having a flight from there?

garykung

I don't think so.

All arrival traffics are separated from departures. In other word, you can get to the North Satellite. But you simply can't get back to T1.

travelinmanS

I fly through HKIA all the time and recently flew through Changi for the first time in a year. I was shocked how crowded Changi was compared to what I remembered. Most of the crowds were from the same place that makes HKIA so crowded as well.

Changi is more like a shopping mall with an airport attached whereas HKIA is really an impressive airport with huge, high ceilings and gates evenly spaced and well laid out. Walking down the long hall of gates in the 20s and 30s impresses me everytime. The only problem I have with the satellite gates is that there is no lounge in that area, otherwise they are OK as well.

Lounges for CX in HKIA are much better than SQ's lounges in Changi. For me HKIA is much more functional and I prefer it over Changi although if I have a very long layover I think I'd prefer Changi, based upon the swimming pool and gym alone.

mkjr

i head that this is a good description of Singapore, a shopping mall with a city attached. at least that is what i have been told.

christep

Sadly Hong Kong is becoming much the same.

kevincrumbs

I like Changi but you have to keep in mind that overall, it is much older than HKG. In addition, it suffers from a piece meal approach of having multiple terminals built at different times.

However, the worst thing about Changi (which some like) are the individual holding pens for flights. No problem if you flight is on time but if you face a lengthy delay and then have a need to use the non-existent restroom...

HKG is better but it also should be because the whole airport is much newer than Changi.

ChrisLi

Yes, you can. There's no inspection before you board the bus for the 501 - 512 Gates.

Please note though the return bus is infrequent comparing to the one heading to it. Don't know why though.....

Swiss Tony

If you land at the 500 gates, do you get bussed straight from the plane, or do you have to go into the terminal???

garykung

Both.

You pass through North Satellite (a route for arrival only) from the plane to the buses.

Swiss Tony

And do the buses run pretty much constantly between the two terminals?

(Suspect I'll end up using the mid-field terminal at least once on a trip I have planned for next year) but am flying J so don't want to lose valuable lounge time!

garykung

Yes for departure to North Satellite. No for back to Terminal 1.

It seems that buses leave North Satellite immediately once finishing drop off.

This is not my site. But I think the pictures pretty much tell you what you expect:

http://forgotten-transport.blogspot....ations-on.html

(Watch out for pop-up.)

Swiss Tony

Thank you for sharing the link, which adds yet more weight to my theory that every possible bit of information in the universe has now been loaded onto the internet.

I see the chap who wrote it actually took a side trip out to the satellite terminal whilst waiting for his flight from the main terminal so it appears you can go to & fro as you want.

garykung

My concern is where you will arrive at T1.

If you arrive at the arrival side, you will need to pass security again. For departure side, you should be fine.