The Hong Kong Government’s 2026/27 Budget, delivered on 25 February, pledges continued support for new air-service agreements and confirms that the long-awaited departure level of Hong Kong International Airport’s Terminal 2 will open in May. Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) says the facility will lift the hub’s capacity from 75 million to 90 million passengers per year—timely as cross-border flows from mainland China rebound.
The Budget also endorses the “Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK” sea-air intermodal scheme, under which travellers from Zhuhai and other Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities clear mainland exit formalities on the western bank of the Pearl River Delta before taking a high-speed ferry or coach across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and connecting to international flights at HKIA landside-airside transfer points. Pilot data show the service cuts total door-to-gate time by up to two hours and has already captured 8 percent of outbound traffic from Guangdong’s affluent west.
For multinational mobility teams the measures enhance Hong Kong’s attractiveness as a routing node for staff based in Shenzhen, Dongguan and Zhongshan who require same-day long-haul connections—particularly to Europe and the United States, where HKIA retains far more frequencies than mainland gateways under existing bilateral caps. AAHK is working with carriers to convert several ‘ghost slots’ into active services for the summer 2026 schedule, subject to demand and aircraft availability.
Before those staff set out, companies may need to confirm visa or travel-permit requirements for Hong Kong, mainland China and onward destinations. VisaHQ’s China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) offers real-time guidance and an online processing platform for Chinese visas, Hong Kong entry permits and third-country paperwork, enabling mobility managers to assemble fully compliant travel packs quickly and with minimal administrative effort.
Terminal 2’s opening will coincide with a newly automated departure immigration hall featuring 50 e-gates compatible with China’s electronic Exit-Entry Permit (EEP) for Guangdong residents and with biometric passports from more than 100 countries. The authority will roll out a dedicated lane for passengers using the Smart Departure mobile pre-clearing app, reducing peak-hour processing times to under four minutes.
Budget documents further reveal HK $2 billion in funding over three years to subsidise airlines launching new GBA-focused routes and to upgrade check-in facilities at the Zhuhai and Shekou off-airport terminals. Companies should watch for promotional fares and cargo incentives tied to these grants, which may open additional capacity for time-sensitive shipments moving between South China factories and overseas markets.
