Air Services and Safety Management

The Air Services and Safety Management Division (ASMD) is responsible for monitoring the compliance of airline operations with bilateral air services arrangements; providing information to relevant authorities regarding air transport licence applications by local airlines and air services negotiations; providing schedule co-ordination and slot allocation services to airlines and other aircraft operators; developing and implementing noise mitigating measures; setting out and implementing safety policy to promote and enhance safety of the aviation system; and regulating Hong Kong air navigation services. The ASMD is also responsible for handling civil aviation legislative matters; regulating the operations of small unmanned aircraft in Hong Kong; furnishing air traffic statistics to international organisations; and co-ordinating the formulation of departmental training policy for departmental professional grade staff.

Air Services

Air Traffic

In 2024-25, the airport recorded a passenger throughput of 54.81 million, representing an increase of 22% when compared to the previous year. This also accounted for about 77% of the pre-pandemic passenger level. On the cargo side, global demand remained robust, with throughput up 10% year-on-year to 4.94 million tonnes. Aircraft movements saw a year-on-year increase of 20%, with 372 928 movements recorded during the year, reaching 89% of the pre-pandemic level. During the year, 137 airlines operated direct services to and from Hong Kong, covering 205 cities/airports.

Facing challenges to the air services sector arising from global economic uncertainties and geopolitical issues, the ASMD continued to take a proactive approach in supporting the industry's operations, especially by expediting the processing of flight applications from airlines. During the year, the ASMD handled and approved applications for about 12 000 extra sections and all-cargo charter flights. To consolidate Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub, the ASMD has been working closely with the industry to tackle the challenges ahead.

Services by Local Carriers

Services by local carriers as at the end of March 2025 were outlined in the ensuing paragraphs.

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited operated direct services to 82 destinations worldwide, including new destinations to Liege and Ningbo.

AHK Air Hong Kong Limited operated direct all-cargo services to 14 destinations in Asia.

Hong Kong Airlines Limited operated direct passenger services to 31 destinations, adding Chiang Mai, Da Nang, Koror, Sendai, Taichung and Xining to its network.

Hong Kong Express Airways Limited operated direct passenger services to 30 destinations, adding Bangkok (Don Mueang), Clark, Hualien, Penang, Phu Quoc, Sanya, Shizuoka and Sendai to its network.

Hong Kong Air Cargo Carrier Limited operated direct all-cargo services to 13 destinations, adding Budapest to its network.

Greater Bay Airlines Company Limited operated direct passenger services to 11 destinations, adding Huangshan, Sendai, Tokushima, Yichang, Yonago and Zhoushan to its network.

Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited continued to operate local passenger charters and aerial work services.

Services by Non-Hong Kong Carriers

Four non-Hong Kong airlines launched new scheduled passenger services to Hong Kong during the year – Starlux Airlines for services from Taipei in July 2024; Thai Lion Air for services from Bangkok in October 2024; Tibet Airlines for services from Yuncheng in November 2024; and Air Premier for services from Seoul in January 2025.

For scheduled all-cargo services, four non-Hong Kong operators commenced new services to Hong Kong – Challenge Airlines (BE) S.A. commenced services from Liege in July 2024; PT MY Indo Airlines commenced services from Jakarta in September 2024; and MNG Airlines and MSC Air commenced services from Istanbul and Milan respectively in October 2024.

On the other hand, nine airlines suspended their scheduled services to and from Hong Kong – Jiangxi Air in April 2024, World Cargo Airlines in August 2024, AirAsia X and Ruili Airlines in October 2024, Tata SIA Airlines (Vistara) in November 2024, Air Belgium and YTO Cargo Airlines in December 2024, and Royal Air Charter Service and Challenge Air Cargo in January 2025.

During the year, the CAD issued 152 operating permits to airlines for operation of scheduled services to and from Hong Kong, and processed around 11 000 applications for changes to the schedules. A total of 3 314 permits were also issued for the operation of charter services to, from and in Hong Kong.

Tariffs

During the year, the CAD processed 601 tariff filings for carriage of passengers and cargo on scheduled services to and from Hong Kong.

Besides, the time-limited arrangement allowing airlines to levy cargo fuel surcharge based on the CAD's cargo fuel surcharge mechanism for flights originating from Hong Kong continued until December 31, 2024. From January 1, 2025, airlines may set their own cargo fuel surcharge levels or choose not to levy such a surcharge for flights originating from Hong Kong.

Air Transport Licensing

In accordance with the Air Transport (Licensing of Air Services) Regulations (Chapter 448A), any person intending to use a Hong Kong-registered aircraft to operate scheduled services to carry passengers, mail or cargo must apply to the Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) for a licence for such operations. The CAD provides the ATLA with air services-related information and statistics on licence applications when necessary.

During the year, the CAD provided the ATLA with air services-related information and statistics with regard to one application for variation of licence.

Slot Allocation

In accordance with the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG), the Hong Kong Schedule Coordination Office of the CAD managed slot allocation in a fair, neutral and transparent manner, with a view to ensuring the efficient utilisation of existing airport infrastructure.

During the year, the number of slot requests at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) had increased steadily. After co-ordination, a total of around 374 900 slots were allocated to airlines and other aircraft operators at the HKIA. This represented a year-on-year increase of around 20%.

Following the commissioning of the Three-runway System (3RS) operations on November 28, 2024, the runway capacity of the HKIA and the number of slots available for allocation will be increased progressively. The CAD will continue to work closely with industry stakeholders to ensure efficient utilisation of slots.

Aircraft Noise Management

The CAD is conscious of the noise impact that aircraft operations may have on local community and has implemented a number of noise mitigating measures based on the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The CAD has been monitoring the implementation of various noise mitigating measures and aircraft noise situations in various districts through the computerised Aircraft Noise and Flight Track Monitoring System (ANFTMS). The ANFTMS comprises multiple outdoor noise monitoring terminals (NMTs) installed at strategic locations in Hong Kong to monitor and record noise data for aircraft operating into and out of the HKIA, and a computer system that correlates noise data collected with the actual aircraft flight tracks detected by the CAD's radar system. In view of the commissioning of the 3RS operations on November 28, 2024, the CAD has expanded the ANFTMS by installing additional NMTs at representative locations close to the new flight paths to ensure more comprehensive monitoring of aircraft noise under the 3RS operations.

Apart from the aircraft noise abatement operational procedures, the CAD has prohibited aircraft not meeting the relevant aircraft noise standards from landing and taking off in Hong Kong since 2002. To further alleviate aircraft noise disturbance to local communities, starting from the end of March 2019, aircraft that do not comply with the noise standards stipulated in Volume I, Part II, Chapter 4 of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, or equivalent, are not allowed to operate at the HKIA between 10 pm and 7 am the following day. The CAD will review this arrangement from time to time and keep a close watch on the latest developments of ICAO, the international aviation industry and the operation of the HKIA to consider the need to strengthen the relevant requirement.

During the year, the CAD handled 615 aircraft noise complaints. Ａ detailed investigation was carried out for every single case and the results would be explained to the complainants. In an effort to enhance the understanding of the noise mitigating measures and noise monitoring work by the local community, the CAD maintained close liaison with the District Councils.

Activities of ICAO

To maintain Hong Kong's status as an international and regional aviation centre and fulfil its responsibilities under the regional air navigation procedures of ICAO in accordance with the Basic Law, the CAD continued to participate actively in ICAO's activities, including meetings, symposiums and seminars, etc. During the year, the CAD representatives attended nine ICAO meetings, which were limited to states, as part of the delegation of the People's Republic of China, and 41 other ICAO meetings, which were not so limited, under the name "Hong Kong, China". Details of these 50 meetings are provided in the Appendix. The CAD also exchanged 459 letters with ICAO, the majority of which involved comments and information on technical matters related to civil aviation.

Activities of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)

The CAD has consistently supported aviation related activities and initiatives of APEC using the name "Hong Kong, China". During the year, the CAD handled 24 requests relating to APEC, which involved provision of comments and information on technical matters related to civil aviation.

Small Unmanned Aircraft (SUA)

Small Unmanned Aircraft Order

To seize the immense potential of SUA application while safeguarding aviation and public safety, the Government introduced a subsidiary legislation, the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order (SUA Order) (Cap. 448G), under the Civil Aviation Ordinance (Cap. 448), as a forward-looking regulatory regime for SUA. Under this legislation, which took full effect on December 1, 2022, SUA operations are regulated under a risk-based approach and classified according to the weight of the SUA and the operational risk level. Operations of different risk levels are subject to the corresponding regulatory requirements, including registration and labelling of SUA, registration of remote pilots, training and assessment, equipment, operating requirements and insurance, etc.

To facilitate compliance with the requirements, the CAD officially launched the "Electronic Portal for Small Unmanned Aircraft (eSUA)" in May 2022. This portal is accessible via a mobile application or a web portal. The public may take advantage of this user friendly platform to register, make applications and access safety information, including the Drone Map for restricted flying zones in force, safety requirement documents and guidance materials, as well as receiving notifications of the latest safety updates. Meanwhile, the CAD has kept up its publicity and educational efforts through various means, including publishing safety information and guidelines on its website, distributing safety leaflets, presenting the legislation and related safety messages through various platforms and briefing sessions, organising joint publicity events with the Police, etc., in order to raise the safety awareness of the relevant sectors and organisations as well as the general public about SUA operations.

As at the end of March 2025, the CAD handled more than 43 000 remote pilot registration applications and more than 58 000 SUA registration applications. The CAD had issued over 200 Advanced Operations Permissions to SUA operators. Over 3 700 trainees completed training under the SUA Advanced Training Organisation Scheme, in preparation for obtaining Advanced Ratings to conduct higher-risk SUA operations.

Low-altitude Economy

The Chief Executive announced in the 2024 Policy Address the establishment of the Working Group on Developing Low-altitude Economy (WG), which will formulate development strategies and inter-departmental action plans for the development of low-altitude economy (LAE) in Hong Kong. A Project Facilitation Task Force (TF) is also set up under the WG to delve into the technical issues relevant to the implementation of LAE-related work, in particular the LAE Regulatory Sandbox (Sandbox) projects. The Sandbox aims to enable industry stakeholders to test and conduct trials on some project concepts within pre-defined air routes in a safe and controlled manner. To facilitate industry stakeholders apply for an Advanced Operations Permission for conducting Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations within the context of the Sandbox, the CAD issued in November 2024 the SUA Advisory Circular No. AC-013. It sets out the safety requirements for a permission to operate SUA weighing not more than 25 kg when the operating requirement relating to Visual Line of Sight cannot be met.

Legislative Amendment

To support the development of LAE by utilising SUA, the legislative amendment process related to the SUA Order was initiated during the year. The legislative amendments primarily involved the introduction of a new category of SUA weighing more than 25 kg but not more than 150 kg, along with the corresponding specified requirements such as permission and insurance requirements, etc. They are targeted to take effect from July 18, 2025.

Strategic Safety Office

The Strategic Safety Office is responsible for co-ordinating the implementation of safety management initiatives and requirements, including activities relating to the State Safety Programme (SSP) and Continuous Monitoring Approach (CMA) for the CAD, and promoting the effective implementation of safety management principles.

Continuous Monitoring Approach Implementation

Under the CMA adopted by ICAO, all states and administrations are required to provide relevant information for ICAO's continuous assessment of the safety oversight capability of concerned authorities in order to ensure global aviation safety.

During the year, the CAD sustained its efforts to proactively implement the CMA activities through a co-ordinated approach with stakeholders, which included formulation of action plans and associated tasks, provision of updated information to ICAO and regular review of the CMA documentation.

ICAO State Safety Programme Implementation

During the year, the CAD continued to implement the SSP according to the Hong Kong Aviation Safety Programme, which was reviewed and updated with reference to the latest ICAO's requirements and guidance on safety management.

On July 4, 2024, the CAD organised an Aviation Safety Management Briefing to update the aviation community on the latest Hong Kong Aviation Safety Programme. The briefing was attended by over 120 aviation safety experts from various sectors of the aviation community including representatives from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao to share their experience on safety management and safety culture implementation.

Regional Co-operation

With the publication of its Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) 2023-2025 edition, the ICAO presented an enhanced global roadmap for the continuous improvement of aviation safety. In support of the implementation of the GASP, the CAD joined ICAO's working group for the development and implementation of the Asia Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan 2023-2025 edition, charting the strategies to strengthen safety oversight and reduce safety risks in the region.

The Deputy Director-General of Civil Aviation, Miss Clara Wong, was elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Regional Aviation Safety Group – Asia Pacific (RASG-APAC) of ICAO for a three-year term in 2023. With a current membership of 41 APAC states/administrations, the RASG-APAC aims to develop and implement a regional performance framework for the management of aviation safety and serves as a regional platform to promote safety initiatives.

During the year, the CAD continued to support the RASG on various regional safety strategies, including taking the lead to plan and organise the ICAO Asia Pacific Safety Management Seminar from February 3 to 5, 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. The Seminar successfully engaged over 600 participants from 30 states/administrations, industry and international organisations to exchange safety management experiences and promote positive safety culture practices. It was acclaimed as the largest safety management seminar in the APAC region.

The CAD will continue to periodically review and refine the existing safety oversight system and implement the related global aviation safety strategies and safety management provisions with a view to continually enhancing the safety regulation.

Air Traffic Management Standards Office (ATMSO)

The ATMSO is responsible for ensuring that a high standard of safety in the provision of air navigation services in Hong Kong is established, achieved and maintained.

Safety Oversight Activities

The ATMSO conducted regular audits and safety inspections on the Air Traffic Management Division (ATMD) and Air Traffic Engineering Services Division (AESD). During the year, a total of 28 audits and safety inspections were conducted.

The safety inspections covered operations, procedures, training and examinations in air traffic management and communication, navigation and surveillance activities; implementation of Safety Management System (SMS); air traffic control (ATC) equipment/systems; safety occurrences investigations; maintenance arrangement; internal audits and follow-up actions arising from safety recommendations.

As part of its duties, the ATMSO participated in the preliminary investigations of all ATC incidents jointly with the ATMD investigators to determine the category and severity of the incident. A decision would then be made as to the form of investigation to be conducted in accordance with the established provisions. During the year, the ATMSO conducted safety review of ATC incidents.

Through the Air Navigation Services Standards Coordination Meeting and the Air Traffic Safety Assessment Committee, the ATMSO also regularly reviewed, in collaboration with air navigation service provider and the safety personnel of other stakeholders including Flight Standards and Airworthiness Division, major local airline operators and the Government Flying Service etc., issues pertinent to safety occurrences, the implementation of SMS and safe air navigation service provisions to promote continual development and improvement.

Documentation

The ATMSO reviews and updates existing regulatory documents periodically to ensure that they remain accurate, valid and up-to-date.

Personnel Licensing for Air Traffic Controllers

In accordance with the standards in Annex 1 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the requirements of Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C), the ATMSO processed 163 initial awards of ATC Licences, ATC Ratings and Certificates, as well as 238 renewals of Ratings and Certificates.

Safety Promotion

To promote safety, the ATMSO conducted periodic briefings on safety culture and the SMS as well as issued safety promotion information to air navigation service providers and staff of maintenance service providers to reinforce safety oversight and safety management concepts. In addition, the ATMSO regularly published regulatory information and safety management materials on the intranet for convenient access by all air navigation services staff.

Training and Development

The ASMD provided support in formulating the departmental training policy and making recommendations on the endorsement of the departmental training programme. Through regular liaison with divisional training co-ordinators, the ASMD also helped organise department-wide training events.

Knowledge Management Activities

To further promote a continuous learning culture in the CAD, the ASMD organised knowledge management activities such as talks on the latest aviation developments or trends and visits to major stakeholders.

Aviation Education Path

The Aviation Education Path (AEP) continued to serve as a valuable gateway for the CAD to enhance public understanding of the functions and responsibilities of various divisions of the CAD, the historical developments of civil aviation in Hong Kong, the development of the 3RS at the HKIA and the importance of aviation safety.

The CAD has set up new exhibition galleries on the "Uprising of the Two Airlines" and the civil aviation development of China at the AEP, with a view to enhancing the public's understanding of the civil aviation development of China (including the development of home-developed aircraft). The exhibition galleries are open to the public since February 19, 2025.

The AEP was open for public visit during the year. Throughout the year, the AEP received around 14 000 visitors, with the majority being local students participating in guided group tours.

Youth Development

The CAD attaches great importance to youth development and is committed to nurturing young talents for the aviation industry by organising youth activities to arouse young people's interest in Hong Kong's aviation development.

The CAD launched the Youth in Aviation Programme in November 2023. As at the end of March 2025, more than 200 members of the Hong Kong Road Safety Patrol (HKRSP) had participated in various activities under the Aviation Safety Knowledge Badge Scheme jointly organised by the CAD and the HKRSP.

To celebrate the 75th Anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and enhance young people's understanding of the aviation development in Hong Kong, the CAD held an aviation-themed youth activity at its headquarters on October 5, 2024. Around 170 participants from seven youth groups and the Strive and Rise Programme took part in the event.

During the year, the Central and Southern Regional Administration of the CAAC and the CAD jointly organised the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) Civil Aviation Youth Exchange Program 2024 (the Program). The Program seeks to furnish young aviation practitioners with a platform to obtain an in-depth understanding of the aviation industry in the Mainland and Hong Kong, as well as to enhance talent exchange and promote high-quality and synergistic development of civil aviation in the GBA. The first and second phases of the Program were successfully held in May and June 2024 respectively, with young aviation practitioners from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao visiting various aviation facilities and organisations in Hong Kong and the East China Region.

Looking ahead, the CAD will continue to co-operate with various youth organisations and uniformed groups to provide diversified programmes and activities for young people, in a bid to enhance their understanding of and interest in aviation, while striving to nurture talents for the aviation industry.