Passengers leaving mainland China to depart on international flights from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) can now check-in for their flights on six of Asia’s main carriers at the Pearl River Delta port of Shekou in Guangdong Province.
SITA’s innovative Upstream service is being pioneered by Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Dragon Air, EVA Air, Japan Airlines and Mandarin Airlines and leverages SITA’s CUTE check-in system at HKIA to simplify travel for some of the 41 million passengers who use Asia’s award-winning “super hub” each year.

Chapman Fong, General Manager of Skylink Passenger Services Company Limited said, “SITA’s state-of-the-art check-in technology gave us the ability to provide an upstream check-in solution for passengers in Pearl River Delta transiting through Hong Kong International Airport, making their travel experience really hassle-free. This type of customer-focused innovation, which greatly simplifies the passenger journey, is helping us to maintain our position as Asia’s leading aviation hub.”

SITA’s one-stop solution allows passengers to check-in for their international flights before they board the ferry for Hong Kong, checking through their baggage to their final destination and clearing all official security and border controls. Ferry passengers who avail of this service arrive at SkyPier, the port arrivals area located on the airport grounds, and are then transferred directly to the departure areas.

This convenient form of international travel from mainland China is a significant step forward in HKIA’s integration with the mainland China market and has the added benefit of making more competitive fares available to passengers. International fares for flights departing from Hong Kong can be up to half the price of those from the mainland.

Russ Lewis, SITA Regional Vice President, Airport and Desktop Services, said, “We are pleased to be selected by Skylink to provide this innovative solution. The new Upstream service enables passengers traveling from the PRD to enjoy a truly hassle-free journey and reaffirms SITA’s status as the leading air transport industry provider in Asia.”

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