The Board of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has announced Vivian Kar-fay Cheung's appointment as chief executive officer (CEO).

The appointment will be effective from April 7, 2025, for a term of three years.

AAHK said Cheung was unanimously endorsed by the Airport Authority Board and approved by the chief executive of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Cheung was appointed chief operating officer of AAHK in December 2022 and has been acting CEO since June 1, 2024.

AAHK said her appointment was made after a nine-month process comprising a global search and stringent assessment of candidates from different backgrounds.

Cheung has more than 30 years of experience in airport management, having served in various senior management roles at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), covering airport operations, information technology, Chinese Mainland airport management, and business, among other areas.

She was executive director of airport operations from 2019 to 2022 and founding president of the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy, which was established by AAHK in 2016.

"Vivian has a stellar career at the airport and made history by being the first home-grown CEO from within AAHK. She will lead the management team, overseeing the airport's operation and business development," said Fred Lam, chairman of the AAHK.

Lam noted that Cheung will work closely with the Board in mapping the strategic directions for the airport in the next crucial phase of its development and realising the vision of developing HKIA into an Airport City to be an economic engine of growth for Hong Kong and the region.

"I am confident that with her unwavering focus and resolute professionalism, Vivian, together with her team, will take HKIA to new heights," the AAHK chairman added.

Cheung welcomed her appointment as she noted that the global business environment is "increasingly challenging."

"But I am full of confidence in the future of our aviation industry," she said. "With the staunch support from the Government, Chairman and the Board, AAHK colleagues and our business partners, we shall further consolidate HKIA's leading position and develop the Airport City as a new landmark in Asia."