Hong Kong's Kai Tak airport has a special place in aviation history and memories. It was located in the central built-up city area, with large widebody aircraft making a dramatic and challenging approach to land. It closed in 1998, but the memory of 747s and other large aircraft flying low over the city remains.

Hong Kong Kai Tak airport -a brief history

Hong Kong's first airport opened in 1924, then housing a flight school called The Abbot School of Aviation. It expanded over the next two decades, with further flight schools and an RAF presence. A control tower and aircraft hangar were added in 1935, and a scheduled airline service was introduced in 1936.

During the Second World War, the airport came under Japanese control, and two concrete runways were added. A redevelopment plan was launched in 1954, with the runways extended to take larger aircraft and a new passenger terminal added. ILS was added in 1974, and the airport entered its peak years.

Boeing_747-467,_Cathay_Pacific_Airways_JP10362
Kai Tak airport was surrounded by dense and high development. Photo: christian hanuise via Wikimedia

City centre location and dramatic approach

As the city developed, the airport was surrounded by high rise development. This gave it a dramatic location, but the approach over the densely developed city and the hills of Hong Kong was even more dramatic.

The approach for landing on runway 13 was the most challenging, known to pilots as the Chequerboard Approach. It began to the southwest of the airport, close to the outlying island of Cheung Chau, and close to the current airport location.

Aircraft would intercept the localizer for the runway at this point and turn right towards Kai Tak. Pilots would then fly towards a large orange and white chequerboard located on a hill in Kowloon Tsai Park (still known as Chequerboard Hill). This is where aircraft would make a 47-degree right turn to line up with the runway, with less than two nautical miles to fly and started at a height of only around 650 feet. Needless to say, this was a difficult manoeuvre, and something pilots would train specifically for.

Kowloon_Tsai_signal_hill
A chequerboard on the hill marked the final turning point. Photo: 
Tksteven via Wikimedia

The final approach after the right turn then flew just tens of meters over the apartment building surrounding the airport. So close that passengers often commented they could see into the flats.

Most of the approach (certainly from around 2,500 feet) was flown manually, without autopilot, and using a heavily modified ILS system. The complex and tight final right turn meant the approach could only be flown under visual conditions.

Boeing_747-428,_Air_France_AN0278440
The final stage of the approach saw aircraft fly very close to the buildings. Photo: Konstantin von Wedelstaedt via Wikimedia

End of an era

Kai Tak airport closed in July 1998. It has already exceeded the planned capacity for many years, and a new airport was needed. The new Hong Kong International Airport, built on the island of Chek Lap Kok, opened as soon as Kai Tak closed. The last scheduled flight out of the airport was a Cathay Pacific flight to London Heathrow. The airport site has now been redeveloped and houses flat development and a cruise ship terminal.

Cathay Pacific Hong Kong Getty Images
The new Hong Kong airport is built on an artificial island. Photo: Getty Images

Did you ever fly into Kai Tak airport – as a pilot or a passenger? We would love to hear your memories of the airport and its approach.