Plans for Hong Kong Airport Skycity, a retail and entertainment destination near the current terminal complex, have been approved.
Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) will to develop a stand-alone retail, dining and entertainment destination, the first such purpose-built project by the AA.
As well as enriching the travel experience, the Airport North Commercial District (NCD) is expected to become a tourist attraction.
An area for the NCD will be carved out from the original land lease of the airport and put under a new lease with a 50-year term granted to the AA at a nominal premium. This arrangement will enhance the authority’s flexibility in using the site.
The government says the development is of strategic importance to the economic and social development of Hong Kong and Lantau, and is expected to be a major component in promoting the “bridgehead economy” of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.
It will generate investment, business and employment opportunities, enhance the attractiveness and competitiveness of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) as a global aviation hub, and promote tourism.
It draws inspiration from the “skycity” concept in such aviation hubs as Singapore’s Changi Airport, Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and Dubai International Airport. These developments have included retail, dining, entertainment and hotels, and the Hong Kong government sees the NCD development an important initiative for the overall economy rather than simply a commercial development of the AA.
A statutory body wholly owned by the government, the AA is responsible for management of the HKIA and development of airport-related activities. The government has charged the AA to factor in the full market value of the land when formulating tender conditions for the NCD site.