By the 1990s, Kai Tak had become one of the world's busiest airports, being a major hub for multiple passenger airlines along with a major cargo and maintenance hub – it far exceeded its annual passenger and cargo design capacities, and one out of every three flights experienced delays, largely due to a lack of space for aircraft, gates, and a second runway.

[citation needed] Far from the congested city centre, flight paths would be routed over the South China Sea rather than crowded urban areas, enabling efficient round-the-clock operation of multiple runways.

[citation needed] In 1988, the Port & Airport Development Strategy (PADS) study was undertaken by consultants, headed by Mott MacDonald Hong Kong Limited, reporting in December 1989.

This study looked at forecasts for both airport and port traffic to the year 2011 and came up with three recommended strategies for overall strategic development in Hong Kong.

[citation needed] In October 1989, the Governor of Hong Kong announced to the Legislative Council that a decision had been made on the territory's long-term port and airport development strategy.

British Prime Minister, John Major, opened the Tsing Ma Bridge, the main access to Lantau Island and the airport and its supporting community in May 1997.

[citation needed] Another cause for this rush was due to the uncertain future of the airport construction after the transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong to the People's Republic of China.

Without access to this financing, many of the companies who had secured contracts to build various portions of the project halted the construction, resulting in delays that pushed the actual opening of the airport which was originally planned to take place before the transition in sovereignty until one year after.

The 12.48-square-kilometre (4.82 sq mi) airport site with its reclamation, added nearly 1% to Hong Kong's total surface area, connecting to the north side of Lantau Island near Tung Chung new town.

At one point, the airport had to turn away all air cargo and freight headed for and exported from Hong Kong (except food and medical supplies) while it sorted out the huge mess.

Lau Kong-wah, a Hong Kong politician, was quoted saying, "This was meant to be a first-class project, but it has turned into a ninth-class airport and a disgrace.

[citation needed] On 31 July 2000, Todd Salimuchai, a regularised illegal immigrant in Hong Kong with no provable nationality, forced his way through a security checkpoint using a fake pistol, took a woman hostage, and boarded a Cathay Pacific aircraft.

T2 also houses a 36-bay coach station for buses to and from mainland China and 56 airline check-in counters, as well as customs and immigration facilities.

Air France, Lufthansa and Thai Airways International previously operated services to Hong Kong from Paris, Frankfurt and Bangkok using the Airbus A380, though they retired the aircraft types early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[38] On 1 November 2022, the sky bridge opened as part of a wider HK$9 billion airport upgrade, connecting Terminal 1 to the T1 Satellite Concourse (T1S).

A new sky bridge connecting Terminal 1 and T1S opened in November 2022, allowing passengers to walk above taxiing planes, saving time from taking the airport shuttle bus.

[41][42][better source needed][43] On 25 January 2011, Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) unveiled phase 1 of its midfield development project which was targeted for completion by the end of 2015.

[50] CNAC House, the office for Air China is also located in the airport complex, together with the Civil Aviation Department headquarters.

After stage 1 of midfield development is completed in 2020,[needs update] there will be sufficient lands remaining for further new concourses to be built as and when demand for them materialises.

This plan focussed on adding a third runway to the north of the Chek Lap Kok, the island the airport is built on, by land reclamation, using deep cement mixing, of about 650 hectares (1,600 acres).

Over 95 international airlines are providing about 900 scheduled passenger and all-cargo flights each day between Hong Kong and some 160 destinations worldwide.

Since the opening of HKIA, the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has implemented a policy of progressive liberalisation of air services.

The airport opened its third runway in July 2022 as part of a HK$141.5 billion expansion project that would increase its land footprint by 50%.

[216] On the other hand, there exists only one airway between Hong Kong and mainland China, and this single route is often and easily backed up causing delays on both sides.

In addition, China requires that aircraft flying the single air route between Hong Kong and the mainland must be at an altitude of at least 15,000 feet.

Talks are underway to persuade the Chinese military to relax its airspace restriction because of worsening air traffic congestion at the airport.

This means adapting the network to the rapidly growing markets in China and in particular to the Pearl River Delta region (PRD).

Transfer desks and baggage handling facilities are included, and the terminal is directly connected to the airport automatic people mover system.

The Airport Meteorological Office (AMO) of the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) provides weather services for the aviation community.

Four ports – Shekou, Shenzhen Airport (Fuyong) and Humen (Dongguan) in mainland China, and Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal in Macau– were initially served, extending to Guangzhou and Zhongshan at the end of 2003.