Today at 4PM, Cathay flight CX8100 will conduct a special low-altitude flyover to commemorate 100 years since the establishment of the original Kai Tak Airport. The A350 will pass over key Hong Kong landmarks including Central, Wan Chai, Kai Tak Stadium and North Point, providing onlookers with a rare and striking view across Victoria Harbour.
The event aims to celebrate Kai Tak’s rich aviation history, which continues to be remembered by many in the city, and will also match with the very first Rugby Sevens organised in the newly built Kai Tak Stadium.
Kai Tak Airport, which operated from 1925 until its closure in 1998, served as Hong Kong’s primary international gateway for decades. Located in Kowloon City, its single runway stretched out into the harbour, requiring pilots to navigate a challenging approach path that took aircraft low over densely populated urban areas.
This unique landing approach, paired with the airport’s proximity to the city’s skyscrapers and mountains, made Kai Tak a globally recognised aviation landmark. Enthusiasts and travellers alike remember it as one of the most demanding yet iconic airports in the world, symbolising Hong Kong’s growth and connectivity throughout the 20th century.
Header Image Credit: Cathay Pacific & Ywchow via Wikimedia Commons
