27 h. ago Hong Kong airport closes runway as clearing of plane crash wreckage set to begin

Hong Kong airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed as two salvage vessels with an 80-member crew are set to arrive in the city to lift a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two people. The Airport Authority said that the north runway would be closed starting from 8am on Thursday, with the operation to salvage the aircraft, which broke into two sections, expected to “last for a few days”. “With the support of Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, Chu Kong Passenger Transport...

Events

27 h. ago Hong Kong airport closes runway as salvage vessels arrive to clear wrecked plane

Hong Kong airport’s north runway has been temporarily closed as two salvage vessels with an 80-member crew have arrived to lift a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two security workers. The Airport Authority said that the north runway had been closed from 8am on Thursday, with the operation to salvage the aircraft, which ended up in the sea and broke into two sections, expected to “last for a few days”. A source said that police questioned the aircraft’s four Turkish crew...

Politics

30 h. ago New Phnom Penh airport opens with fanfare as Cambodia touts regional, China ties

With an eye to transforming Cambodia into a Southeast Asian travel and cargo hub, a new US$2.3 billion airport – developed by a venture affiliated with one of the country’s wealthiest men – was opened at a grand ceremony near Phnom Penh, where officials and business leaders praised the project for enhancing regional connectivity and deepening links with Hong Kong and mainland China. Techo International Airport (TIA), which has replaced the Cambodian capital’s previous facility, has been forecast...

Politics

67 h. ago Hong Kong plane crash ‘could lead to manslaughter case if negligence found’

Hong Kong authorities could resort to manslaughter charges, which carry a penalty of life imprisonment, if a cargo plane crash that killed two airport staff members is found to have resulted from gross negligence, legal experts have said. Flight EK9788 veered off a runway during landing at Hong Kong airport on Monday morning and ploughed into the waters, knocking a security patrol vehicle into the sea and killing two people inside. All four crew members of the Emirates flight, which was operated...

Events

67 h. ago Plane crash in Hong Kong ‘could lead to manslaughter case if negligence found’

Hong Kong authorities could resort to manslaughter charges, which carry a penalty of life imprisonment, if a cargo plane crash that killed two airport staff members is found to have resulted from gross negligence, legal experts have said. Flight EK9788 veered off a runway during landing at Hong Kong airport on Monday morning and ploughed into the waters, knocking a security patrol vehicle into the sea and killing two people inside. All four crew members of the Emirates flight, which was operated...

Events

69 h. ago Hong Kong an aviation hub for Greater Bay Area, beyond: Airport Authority chief

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is poised to serve as a major infrastructure for the Greater Bay Area (GBA) and markets beyond, as a fresh surge of Chinese companies moves to expand globally over the next decade, according to the head of the city’s Airport Authority. “We mustn’t see the HKIA just as an airport for Hong Kong,” said Fred Lam Tin-fuk, Airport Authority chairman, in a speech at the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Business Summit 2025 on Tuesday. “We very much see it as a...

Politics

2 d. ago Hong Kong runway on standby a day after plane accident, crew to be questioned

The north runway of Hong Kong’s airport will be reopened on standby mode by noon on Tuesday, 32 hours after an Emirates cargo plane veered off it and struck a ground vehicle, sending it into the sea and killing two staff members, the airport operator has said. A source also said the Air Incident Investigation Authority was expected to meet the four Turkish crew members on the flight as part of investigations on Tuesday, with police questioning them afterwards. The crew were not prevented from...

Politics

2 d. ago Hong Kong runway on standby a day after plane crash, crew to be questioned

The north runway of Hong Kong airport was expected to reopen on standby mode by noon on Tuesday, 32 hours after an Emirates cargo plane veered off it and struck a ground vehicle, sending it into the sea and killing two security workers, the airport operator has said. A source also said the Air Incident Investigation Authority was expected to meet the four Turkish crew members on the flight as part of investigations on Tuesday, with police questioning them afterwards. The four were not prevented...

Events

2 d. ago Hong Kong airport’s north runway reopens after cargo plane crash kills 2

Hong Kong airport’s north runway has reopened but will remain on standby to support week-long efforts to salvage a crashed cargo plane that veered off its path and killed two security workers when it struck their vehicle. Monday’s incident was the fourth in 15 years to involve Turkish company ACT Airlines, which was operating the cargo flight for Emirates, with more than 30 people killed in a previous accident in 2017. An aviation expert said on Tuesday that it was not uncommon for an airline...

Events

3 d. ago Hong Kong probe after plane skids off runway, kills 2, in ‘suitable’ weather

Weather and runway conditions at Hong Kong’s airport were suitable for normal operations when a cargo plane veered off the runway early Monday and ploughed into the sea, killing two people, authorities said as they launched an investigation into the incident. The Civil Aviation Department also said air traffic controllers had not received any calls for assistance from Emirates flight EK9788, which was operated by Turkish cargo and passenger charter carrier ACT Airlines before the...

Events

4 d. ago 2 dead after cargo plane slides off Hong Kong runway, partly lands in sea

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Two people were killed after a cargo plane slid off the north runway of Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning, apparently striking a ground vehicle and plunging almost entirely into the sea, police have said. At about 3.50am, Emirates flight EK9788 from Dubai veered off the runway while landing, according to police, who said it is...

Events

4 d. ago 2 dead after Emirates plane veers off Hong Kong runway into sea

This live blog has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. A cargo plane veered off the north runway of Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning, struck a ground vehicle and landed partially in the sea, killing two in the process, with authorities later saying the weather and runway were ‘safe’. At about 3.50am, Emirates flight EK9788 from Dubai swerved off the runway during landing and struck a...

Events

4 d. ago 1 dead after cargo plane slides off Hong Kong runway, partly lands in sea

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. One person was killed after a cargo plane slid off the north runway of Hong Kong International Airport early on Monday morning, apparently striking a ground vehicle and plunging partially into the sea, police have said. At about 4am, Emirates flight EK9788 from Dubai veered off the runway while landing, according to police, who said it is suspected to have...

Events

1 week ago Man arrested in Hong Kong airport in HK$1.7 million drug bust

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested a man at the airport on suspicion of carrying about HK$1.7 million (US$218,410) worth of cannabis buds in his luggage. The Customs and Excise Department said on Monday that the 30-year-old had arrived at the city’s airport from Bangkok the previous day. The suspect’s nationality was not provided. During customs clearance, officers discovered a batch of about 8kg (18lbs) of suspected cannabis in his carry-on luggage. The man was subsequently arrested and...

Events

2 w. ago Hong Kong airport warns of more than 100 disrupted flights due to Typhoon Matmo

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. More than 100 flights are expected to be disrupted on Sunday due to Typhoon Matmo, with up to 27 potentially cancelled, according to Hong Kong’s Airport Authority. Matmo is gradually moving away from the city and is forecast to weaken further by the afternoon. The Hong Kong Observatory said on Sunday that it would downgrade the No 3 signal to the No 1 standby...

Events

4 w. ago Hong Kong airport in talks with 20 global airlines to launch flights to city

Hong Kong’s Airport Authority is in talks with more than 20 international airlines, including those from Europe and the United States, to launch new routes to the city as it ups its game to entice foreign carriers with incentives. Chapman Fong Shui-man, the authority’s director for hub development, said on Thursday that the statutory body had arranged to meet more than 20 global airlines during the Routes World aviation forum in Hong Kong in a bid to secure new routes to the city. “The Routes...

Transport

4 w. ago Travellers return to Hong Kong airport as flights resume after Ragasa disruptions

Air travellers are flocking to Hong Kong’s airport after powerful typhoon Ragasa lashed the city, with staff members setting up extra crowd control measures and passengers largely satisfied with the resumption arrangements. Outbound flights resumed at 6am on Thursday, after disruptions since 6pm on September 23 forced some passengers to adjust their plans. The Airport Authority earlier said it anticipated having to clear a backlog of more than 1,000 flights affecting some 140,000 passengers,...

Transport

4 w. ago Hong Kong airport braces for Ragasa backlog of 140,000 affected passengers

Eager travellers, undeterred by the Airport Authority’s announcement that outbound flights would not resume until 6am on Thursday, have headed to Hong Kong International Airport as Severe Typhoon Ragasa moved away from the city. With all flights suspended until midnight, the authority expected the airport would be very busy and anticipated handling about 1,000 flights. It would take about two days to clear the backlog of flights, as 140,000 passengers were affected on Tuesday and Wednesday, the...

Society