Over 20,000 cross-boundary trips have been made under the “Fly from Hong Kong via Zhuhai” policy since its official implementation in mid-December as international travelers praised simplified customs clearance procedure.
The policy allows travelers arriving at Zhuhai Airport to travel overseas via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) and Hong Kong International Airport without having to go through immigration clearance in Hong Kong.
The same service also applies in reverse, with travelers flying into Hong Kong from overseas being able to transfer to mainland cities via the HZMB and Zhuhai Airport without the need to undergo mainland immigration procedure.
By making it more convenient to travel from Hong Kong, the “Fly from Hong Kong via Zhuhai” policy plays a role in boosting the development of Hong Kong International Airport, as it strives to bring its business back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic
“I have traveled from San Francisco to Zhuhai to see my family using the new model, which was a great experience,” said a traveler who gave his surname as Zeng.
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“Compared with previous times, now I only need to go through the immigration procedure once, significantly cutting my waiting time.”
Feng Wenjun, an official from HZMB customs, said four channels are set aside specifically for travelers using the service so as to meet the growing demand of customs clearance.
By making it more convenient to travel from Hong Kong, the service also plays a role in boosting the development of Hong Kong International Airport, as it strives to bring its business back on track after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Passenger volume at HKIA hit 16.9 million in the first four months, growing 67.5 percent year-on-year.
Michael Yuen, general manager of hub development at Airport Authority Hong Kong, said on Thursday that passenger volume of the airport has kept rising since 2023 and has already recovered to 80 percent of pre-pandemic levels.
READ MORE: HK airport sees significant growth in passenger traffic in March
He said he expected that the number of passengers to fully rebound to pre-pandemic levels by the end of this year.
