Plane spotting in Hong Kong: spots at Chek Lap Kok

Hong Kong is at the top of many spotters’ lists – and mostly out of nostalgia. Think of Kai Tak and you see jumbos banking between high-rises. The successor on Chek Lap Kok island does not have that thrill but offers something else: one of the busiest cargo airports in the world, the home base of Cathay Pacific with A350s and 777s, freighters from DHL, UPS, FedEx and Kalitta around the clock and a backdrop of green mountains and the South China Sea. This guide shows you how the new three-runway system works, where the well-known spots at Chek Lap Kok are, how to deal with light and haze and how to reach everything by train, bus and ferry.

Chek Lap Kok in brief

Hong Kong Airport (IATA HKG, ICAO VHHH) sits on a largely reclaimed area around the former island of Chek Lap Kok, right off the north coast of Lantau and opposite the new town of Tung Chung. The operator is the Airport Authority Hong Kong. The airport began scheduled operations on July 6, 1998 – the same day the era of the old city airport Kai Tak ended, whose famous approach is described in the article Kai Tak: the most spectacular approach in the world.

For spotters, the mix matters most. Hong Kong is home to Cathay Pacific and its low-cost subsidiary HK Express, both part of the Cathay Group. Added to that are Hong Kong Airlines, the young Greater Bay Airlines and DHL partner Air Hong Kong. In cargo, Hong Kong has been among the world’s best for years: according to published traffic figures, a good five million tonnes of air cargo were handled in 2025, along with about 61 million passengers.

Understanding the three-runway system

For a long time, Chek Lap Kok had two parallel runways. For the three-runway system, more land was reclaimed north of the island. The new north runway entered service in 2022, after which the previous north runway was rebuilt and reopened as the center runway. Since November 28, 2024, all three runways have run together:

Runway	Location	Typical role (as of fall 2026)
07L/25R	North runway, newly reclaimed	complements the system; its use may still shift with the expansion
07C/25C	Center runway, formerly the north runway	mainly landings of passenger flights
07R/25L	South runway, near the cargo area and Lantau	many takeoffs and cargo flights

All three runways are about 3,800 meters long and aligned roughly to 70 and 250 degrees respectively – an almost pure east-west axis. According to spotter reports, direction 07 is the more common runway direction in use, that is, with takeoffs and landings to the east. You cannot plan on that firmly: how wind and runway direction in use are connected is explained in the guide Understanding the runway direction in use, and how to estimate the wind in advance is shown in the article on Windy and other weather maps.

Important for your choice of spot: the distribution of traffic across the three runways is not yet set in stone. The airport is still being built, including new terminal facilities between the north and center runways. So check a live map shortly before your trip to see which runway is used for takeoffs and which for landings on your days.

What you see at the fence

Hong Kong is not an airport for exotics in bulk, but for widebody jets and freighters it is one of the best addresses in the world.

• Cathay Pacific: the backbone is formed by the Airbus A350-900, the A350-1000 and the Boeing 777-300ER, plus the A330-300 and, on short-haul routes, the A321neo. The Boeing 777-9 is on order; when it shows up in scheduled service depends on certification at Boeing.
• Cathay Cargo: the cargo division relies on the Boeing 747-8F and the 747-400ERF, with the Airbus A350F on order as the successor. The jumbo freighters often take off from the south runway – one more reason for the south side.
• Local airlines: HK Express flies Airbus A320s and A321s, Hong Kong Airlines Airbus narrowbody and widebody jets, Greater Bay Airlines Boeing 737s. Air Hong Kong operates A330 freighters, including A330-P2F conversions, for the DHL network in Asia.
• International freighters: the express integrators DHL, FedEx and UPS with DHL Aviation, FedEx Express and UPS Airlines are part of everyday life, as are Kalitta Air and Polar Air Cargo. Add Boeing 777Fs and 747 freighters from Asia, the Middle East and Europe. If you want to tell the many freighter versions apart, the guide Recognizing cargo aircraft has the key features.
• Guests from the region: airlines from mainland China, from Taiwan such as China Airlines and EVA Air, from Southeast Asia such as Singapore Airlines and from Japan and Korea provide variety.

Registrations are a collecting area of their own. Hong Kong uses the Chinese nationality mark B, but with its own letter blocks such as B-H, B-K and B-L. How this differs from mainland China and Taiwan is shown in the article on Chinese B registrations. If you are unsure about the A350 and 787 or the 777 and 787, the comparisons A350 or 787? and Telling the Boeing 777 and 787 apart help.

Light and weather: subtropical and often hazy

Hong Kong lies at a good 22 degrees north latitude. With the rule of thumb from the guide Planning the sun position – 90 degrees minus latitude plus solar declination – the sun in December still stands about 44 degrees high at midday, whereas in June it is almost vertical and even slightly to the north. For an east-west runway, that means:

• South side (Lantau, Sha Lo Wan): you look north. In the winter half-year the sun stays behind you for a long time, and good conditions last into the afternoon. In summer this side is usable mainly in the morning, because the sun rises in the northeast and later passes over you.
• North side (shore near Tuen Mun, northern edge of the airport): you look south. There it works practically only in summer in the late afternoon and evening, when the sun is in the northwest.

The bigger problem, though, is the air. In summer, heat and humidity, thunderstorms and typhoons weigh on you; in fall and winter it is drier but often hazy. In addition, strong shimmer over the asphalt blurs long focal lengths across the runway. Tips against it are collected in the article Avoiding heat haze. On clear days after a rain shower or a cold air outbreak, Hong Kong is spectacular: green mountains, blue water, the jets in front.

The best-known spots at Chek Lap Kok

The spots are spread across two areas: the airport island itself and the mountainous coast of Lantau to the south. All information is based on spotter reports; construction sites keep changing the situation in Hong Kong.

Sha Lo Wan: the classic on Lantau

The small village of Sha Lo Wan lies on the north coast of Lantau, southwest of the south runway. It is practically reachable only by the ferry from Tung Chung toward Tai O, which runs a few times a day. Even from the ferry pier you see takeoffs on 25L. A path uphill takes you to viewpoints on the slope from which you overlook takeoffs on 07R, taxiways and parts of the apron – from an elevated position, with aircraft in front of the water and the hills of the island. The higher you climb, the more focal length you need. Bring water, sun protection and food; there are no shops up there.

Scenic Hill: takeoffs from above

Scenic Hill is a rise on the airport island, not far from Cathay City. A steep concrete path leads up from the bus stop. At the top you overlook mainly takeoffs on 07R; in westerly operations, takeoffs on 25L are also possible. According to spotter reports, you have good light in summer until about midday, in winter into the afternoon. Long focal lengths are needed for narrowbody jets, while widebodies fill the frame more easily. The hill is popular on weekends and offers some shade.

Around Cathay City and the maintenance area

Around the Cathay headquarters and the HAECO maintenance area there are several locations on roads, bridges and waterfront paths. From here, depending on the runway direction in use, you catch landings on the center runway and takeoffs toward the east. They are reachable by the airport buses that serve the island’s work areas.

Sky Deck and Terminal 1

If you have little time or are transferring, Terminal 1 has views of taxiways and the center and south runways. The Sky Deck on the connecting bridge to the satellite terminal offers an unobstructed view, though through glass – with a lens hood directly against the pane you avoid reflections. How to do this best is shown in the guide Shooting through fences and glass. According to spotter reports, security staff now send spotters away from a formerly popular smoking area in the departures zone because of misconduct and litter. So follow the staff’s instructions.

Tuen Mun: only for clear summer evenings

On the shore near Tuen Mun, north across from the airport, you see landings on 25R from a great distance. That works only on very clear days, in summer in the late afternoon, and rather for widebody jets. An option for spotters who already know everything else.

Getting there without a car

A rental car is hardly necessary for spotters in Hong Kong – parking at the airport is scarce, and the public network is excellent.

What camera gear you may take in your carry-on for the trip is summarized in the article Camera gear in carry-on luggage. For choosing a focal length, the guide The right lens for plane spotting helps; at the hill spots a teleconverter is often worth its weight in gold. So that a big telephoto lens at the fence does not make you look suspicious, take a look at Big telephoto lens, big suspicion.

In Kai Tak’s footsteps

No spotter visit to Hong Kong is complete without a detour to Kowloon. Of the old Kai Tak airport, the runway is still recognizable as a peninsula, and a cruise terminal now stands at its tip. The famous Checkerboard Hill, where pilots used to begin their right turn, is also still there. You no longer see aircraft there, but you understand why photos of jumbos above the rooftops of Kowloon have cult status. The whole story is told in the article Kai Tak in Hong Kong.

If you are staying in the region, you can combine the trip nicely with Plane spotting in Singapore – Changi and Chek Lap Kok are hubs with very different characters. You will find more destinations for your list in the bucket list of spotting spots worldwide.

What to watch out for

• Keep an eye on construction sites: with the three-runway system, Terminal 2 newly opened in 2026 and further construction work, paths, buses and access points change. Spotter reports from a few years ago may be outdated.
• Do not enter operational areas: stay on public paths and viewpoints. Where security staff are present, behave inconspicuously and follow instructions immediately.
• No drone: flying drones around the airport without a permit is not allowed – leave it at the hotel.
• Underestimating the heat is dangerous: on the hills near Sha Lo Wan there is hardly any shade and no supplies. Bring much more water than you think.
• Use clear days: when visibility is good, postpone sightseeing and head to the fence. The next hazy day is sure to come.

Conclusion

Chek Lap Kok does not replace the myth of Kai Tak, but it is an excellent destination for everyone who loves widebody jets and freighters. The three-runway system brings plenty of traffic on a clear east-west axis, the south side on Lantau delivers good light in the winter half-year, and train, bus and ferry make you independent of a car. The biggest unknown remains the weather: if you plan flexibly and consistently use clear days, you will come back with full memory cards.