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Travelers arriving at Hong Kong International Airport through the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge will not be required to go through immigration clearance in Hong Kong starting tomorrow, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
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Zhuhai travelers will only need to pass through mainland customs and will not have to go through Hong Kong immigration clearances to reach Chek Lap Kok airport.
Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK service would allow travelers to check in from the Zhuhai port after finishing immigration clearance in the mainland, and board a shuttle bus to the Hong Kong airport's boarding gate directly, CCTV said.
Similarly, international passengers in Hong Kong can travel to the mainland cities via Zhuhai airport through the reverse process.
According to the Airport Authority, dedicated bus service to the Zhuhai airport will be commissioned shortly, following the implementation of the service.
"To ensure the smooth implementation of the service, the HZMB control point has set up a special channel for travelers of the service to provide convenient and high-quality services and promote the formation of the Greater Bay Area world-class airport cluster," said a Zhuhai port officer.
The control point will allow real-time inquiries about the shuttle buses. It will enhance the training of the bus staff to ensure safe and smooth flow of the control point operation.
Both airports said they will leverage the strengths of their respective networks and the mega-bridge to expand their customer base.
The next phase of the service will allow travelers to check in at Zhuhai airport before taking the shuttle bus, the "air-land-air" transition mode, CCTV said.
Chairman of Legislative Council transport panel Ben Chan Han-pan said the service would bring more visitors to the SAR as airlines might add more flights resulting in cheaper air fares.
"Hong Kong's success has always depended on continuously opening up to accommodate different people entering and going out through the city. As an aviation hub, we should never be afraid of an increase in the number of customers," he said.
The new service could boost the recovery of the Hong Kong aviation industry, as it would pool the advantages of HKIA's international network and Zhuhai airport's expanding mainland aviation network, said Policy and Knowledge Transfer, Aviation Policy and Research Centre at CUHK director Andrew Yuen Chi-lok.
"The short-term effects may not be so great because the passenger volume and capacity of Zhuhai are relatively small, but it will facilitate the Airport Authority's operation or financial position when the model operates more smoothly in the long run."
Additionally, the authority is planning to build 30 terminals in the GBA to expand the service to the airport.
stacy.shi@singtaonewscorp.com
