HONG KONG -- The new passenger departure facilities at Terminal 2 of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) officially opened on Wednesday, further consolidating the city's status as a global aviation hub.

Expansion and upgrade of the new terminal cost around HK$12.9 billion (about $1.65 billion) and took several years to complete, according to the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the city's airport authority.

The airport authority said the move was mainly aimed at increasing capacity to handle Hong Kong's growing passenger traffic, adding that 15 airlines will move into the new terminal by mid-June.

The HKIA handled 61 million passenger trips in 2025, up 15 percent from the previous year. With the new terminal expected to handle an additional 30 million passenger trips annually, the two terminals are projected to have a combined annual capacity of 100 million passenger trips.