Cathay Pacific passengers to enjoy travel benefits as tourism hub Hong Kong extends downtown airport check-in hours until 11 pm

Hong Kong will extend operating hours for its downtown airport check-in services as the city ramps up efforts to revive its tourism sector and reputation as an efficient travel hub.

From Feb. 1, check-in counters at Hong Kong Station will be open until 11 p.m., the city’s mass railway operator MTR Corp. said Monday. That compares with a 3 p.m. closing time currently. Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd passengers will continue to be the only people able to use the service, though MTR said it’s coordinating with other airlines on arrangements.

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The counters, which allow passengers to drop off their luggage in the heart of the city and then collect it at their final destination, once epitomised the financial center’s convenience and efficiency. Their limited return to service in July, after more than three years of closure during Hong Kong’s Covid isolation, has come to symbolize the the city’s struggles to entice visitors back.

Hong Kong is one of only a few places in the world that has in-town check-in — others include Taipei and Kuala Lumpur. Express-train services from Hong Kong Station to the airport take about 24 minutes, with departures roughly every 10 minutes. A one-way ticket costs HK$110 ($14) to HK$115 for an adult. Porters will be deployed at Hong Kong and Kowloon stations to assist passengers, MTR said.