HKIA conducts annual exercise to strengthen readiness for typhoon season

2026-04-17

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) conducted “Summer Blow 2026” exercise in the early hours today to enhance its preparedness for the forthcoming typhoon season. It also marked the first time this exercise was held in Terminal 2 (T2) in preparation for its commissioning on 27 May. The exercise involved 700 participants from about 30 organisations.

The exercise simulated the scenario of a tropical cyclone gradually approaching, followed by deteriorating weather conditions culminating in the hoisting of Hurricane Signal No. 10. Response units including Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), relevant Government departments, airlines, passenger and ramp handling agents, and other airport business partners took coordinated actions to ensure the airport remained safe and operational under severe weather.

Crowd management drills were conducted at both Terminal 1 and T2 during the exercise. AAHK’s duty staff, airlines’ ground staff and Aviation Security Company Limited’s (AVSECO) members guided and controlled passenger flow. Bottled water and snacks were distributed to affected passengers. Contingency baggage handling arrangements were implemented to manage baggage overflow. Concurrently, airbridge tie‑down operations and restoration works were performed to ensure safety on the apron. The Airport Emergency Centre (AEC) was activated to facilitate effective communication and coordination among all parties. Flight Rescheduling Control System was implemented to plan for the orderly resumption of flight services.

As the exercise progressed to simulate the departure of the tropical cyclone, immediate actions were taken to prepare for the recovery phase. These included activating Taxi Queue Ticket System and coordinating land transportation arrangements to help arriving passengers leave the airport efficiently as flight operations and ground transport gradually resumed.

Steven Yiu, Executive Director, Airport Operations of AAHK, said, “The ‘Summer Blow’ exercise is critical to ensuring our preparedness for the typhoon season. This year’s exercise holds particular significance as it marks the first time it covered T2 ahead of its commissioning. All relevant parties had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new terminal layout and facilities, as well as the passenger flow arrangements. I am pleased that the exercise was carried out smoothly and successfully, demonstrating HKIA’s ability to handle extreme weather, protect passenger safety, and keep airport operations running thanks to the strong collaboration across the airport community.”