The Three-runway System (3RS) at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) — the world's busiest air cargo hub — is scheduled to be commissioned on November 28, 2024. 

The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) said that after it acquires the aerodrome licence and the 3RS is commissioned, all three runways will operate under the 3RS.

"AAHK targets to obtain the aerodrome licence in November 2024, covering the operation of the existing South Runway and North Runway, the reconfigured Centre Runway, the associated taxiways and supporting facilities," the announcement said.

After the new North Runway was officially commissioned in November 2022, HKIA has continued to operate with two runways, with the Centre Runway temporarily closed in tandem for reconfiguration.

The reconfiguration works include relevelling of the runway pavement to tie in with connecting taxiways, constructing new runway entry and exit taxiways, building new wrap-around taxiways at both ends of the runway, and more.

The flight check at the Centre Runway was successfully completed in September, and the AAHK continues to take forward the preparatory work for the commissioning of the 3RS, including an aircraft crash and rescue exercise on the Centre Runway in the early hours of October 15, 2024.

The 3RS was earlier noted to provide capacity for HKIA to meet the long-term air traffic demand of 120 million passengers and 10 million tonnes of cargo forecast for 2035, further consolidating HKIA's position as the leading aviation hub in the region.