Originally Posted by QRC3288

It's definitely not totally random from CX and HKIA's perspective, however from our perspective it may as well be. The main reason is CX/KA are so big at HKG that they have so many gates, you really could go from "anywhere". And the gate rostering does have big changes from time to time. Say even the average highly-frequent CX/KA traveler might do 50 ex-HKG departures a year. You really might not notice if for a 6-12 month period CX isn't using gates 15-19, since they use so many other gates anyway.And then maybe next year CX is allocated those gates again. So it could feel totally random. But it's not completely.

There are exceptions, of course. Early morning SHA and PVG flights, for example often go out of the high 60s/70s gates. I'm not sure why but one theory I have is CX wants to put pax close to Pier (this is pure speculation though, I have no information.) Early morning MNL/TPE/SIN flights often (but not always) can go from gates 1-4, due to longhaul aircraft arrival rotations and then those planes frequently being rostered on MNL/TPE/SIN flights. And of course back in the days of the full-scale carry on luggage inspection, CX's US flights tended to go from Gates 1-4 especially from midday onwards, and for a while gates 18-19 too, because they are all close to immigration/security and thus all the extra security officers required didn't have to traverse the whole airport.

Other reasons for other gates too, for example EK is allocated an odd 30s gates (for morning B77W) and 60+ (even only) for the A380 enabled gates for their remaining 3 A380 flights. All of those gates are near the EK lounge which is upstairs in the middle area between the 40s and 60s gates. SQ has easterly gates allocated, including the Gate 14 A380 enabled gate, due to proximity to the SQ lounge, but NOT gates G1-4 or 21 (which is also an A380 enabled gate), which are all mostly CX allocated for now (but Gate 21 is not exclusive CX I don't believe) due to proximity to the Wing. Qantas is in the same boat as SQ. Et cetera.

Originally Posted by QRC3288

It's definitely not totally random from CX and HKIA's perspective, however from our perspective it may as well be. The main reason is CX/KA are so big at HKG that they have so many gates, you really could go from "anywhere". And the gate rostering does have big changes from time to time. Say even the average highly-frequent CX/KA traveler might do 50 ex-HKG departures a year. You really might not notice if for a 6-12 month period CX isn't using gates 15-19, since they use so many other gates anyway.And then maybe next year CX is allocated those gates again. So it could feel totally random. But it's not completely.

There are exceptions, of course. Early morning SHA and PVG flights, for example often go out of the high 60s/70s gates. I'm not sure why but one theory I have is CX wants to put pax close to Pier (this is pure speculation though, I have no information.) Early morning MNL/TPE/SIN flights often (but not always) can go from gates 1-4, due to longhaul aircraft arrival rotations and then those planes frequently being rostered on MNL/TPE/SIN flights. And of course back in the days of the full-scale carry on luggage inspection, CX's US flights tended to go from Gates 1-4 especially from midday onwards, and for a while gates 18-19 too, because they are all close to immigration/security and thus all the extra security officers required didn't have to traverse the whole airport.

Other reasons for other gates too, for example EK is allocated an odd 30s gates (for morning B77W) and 60+ (even only) for the A380 enabled gates for their remaining 3 A380 flights. All of those gates are near the EK lounge which is upstairs in the middle area between the 40s and 60s gates. SQ has easterly gates allocated, including the Gate 14 A380 enabled gate, due to proximity to the SQ lounge, but NOT gates G1-4 or 21 (which is also an A380 enabled gate), which are all mostly CX allocated for now (but Gate 21 is not exclusive CX I don't believe) due to proximity to the Wing. Qantas is in the same boat as SQ. Et cetera.