Inside Hong Kong’s Smart Airport: The $18 Billion Upgrade (Rare Access)

Inside one of the world’s most advanced airports — Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). In 2025, the airport handled 61 million passengers, nearly 395,000 aircraft movements across three runways, and more than 5 million tonnes of cargo, making it the world’s busiest cargo airport. But the real story isn’t just in the numbers. Behind the scenes, an extraordinary operation keeps everything moving with precision. In this video, I was given rare access inside the Integrated Airport Centre (IAC) — the command center where every aircraft movement is monitored and critical decisions are made in real time. My host, Steven Yiu, Executive Director of Airport Operations, takes us deep inside the operations center to explain how the airport functions on a daily basis. From how gates are assigned to arriving flights, to how the airport manages severe weather during typhoons, and how automation and smart systems are transforming airport monitoring. Steven also shares an overview of the airport’s Three-Runway System, which is now fully operational, and discusses future developments, including the new Terminal 2 and the upcoming T2 Concourse. The entire three-runway system, Terminal 2, and T2 concourse cost more than $18 Billion. Next, I head to the Midfield Concourse. Here, over 100 autonomous tractors and buses are moving people, luggage and cargo inside the airport. Another interesting area is biometric travel. At many checkpoints in HKIA — including security, immigration, and boarding gates — passengers no longer need to present a passport, ID, or boarding pass. Your face becomes your passport and your boarding pass. Join me for this rare behind-the-scenes look at how technology, automation, and world-class operations keep one of the world’s busiest airports running 24/7. Image and footage: Wikimedia Commons, HKIA, Superflanker