The North Runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has been temporarily closed from 08:00 local time to allow for the recovery of a cargo aircraft that crashed into the sea on 20 October, killing two airport security staff.
The complex lifting and removal operation, coordinated by Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), is expected to take several days.
AAHK said the recovery effort is being supported by the Guangzhou Salvage Bureau, with Chu Kong Passenger Transport Company Limited deploying two professional lift vessels — Nan Tian Xiang and Nan Tian Peng — which have maximum lifting capacities of 350 and 500 tonnes respectively.
The vessels, carrying specialist equipment and a crew of about 80 professionals including divers, machinists, boatmen and engineers, are due to arrive in the waters adjacent to HKIA within the next two days.
The incident occurred early on 20 October when a cargo aircraft skidded off the runway during landing. The aircraft broke through the perimeter fencing and struck a patrol vehicle, sending it into the sea.
Airport operations executive director Steven Yiu said the patrol car had been travelling on a service road outside the runway fencing “at a safe distance from the runway” at the time of the incident.
“The aircraft veered away from the runway, breached the fencing and collided with the vehicle, pushing it into the sea,” Mr Yiu said.
AAHK said it is cooperating fully with the Civil Aviation Department and other authorities investigating the cause of the crash, while ensuring the recovery operation is conducted safely and efficiently.
