Airline fares for flights out of Hong Kong are set to get pricier this year once a new airport fee comes into effect. The government is raising the city’s Air Passenger Departure Tax by about 67% starting October 1, 2025, so that each traveller leaving the city by air will have to pay HK$200 on their tickets instead of the prevailing HK$120. The hike will apply to airlines and helicopter companies that operate flights out of the territory.
Departure Tax Changes: Increase, Exemptions, and Refunds
Financial Secretary Paul Chan announced the increase when he unveiled the 2025-2026 budget last week, and authorities confirmed that the Air Passenger Departure Tax (Amendment) Bill 2025 will be gazetted on March 7. This is the first time since the 2003-2004 financial year that this charge has been raised, and authorities estimate it will bring in HK$1.6 billion of revenue every year.
However, not all passengers need to pay this fee. This includes children under 12 years old, direct transit fliers, and those taking a connecting flight. Travellers who arrive and leave Hong Kong on the same day by plane are also exempt, as are those who enter the airport by vehicle on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge or by ship and then fly out without leaving the restricted area. There are certain passengers who can also get a refund on the tax at the airport, as long as they have proof that they’ve paid the charge and other supporting documents, such as ID and boarding passes.
Passenger Numbers and Flight Capacity on the Rise
Earlier this month, the city’s airport authority said that Hong Kong airport’s passenger numbers returned to pre-Covid levels in January 2025, with the terminal handling an average of 170,000 travellers every day during this time. The aviation hub also landed on a spot in a list of the world’s 10 busiest international airports after increasing its flight capacity by 40% between in 2024.
The number of flights into and out of the city are also set to rise, thanks to the new runway that opened at the airport last year. Hong Kong-based carriers like Cathay Pacific and HK Express plan to expand their networks to include more passenger routes by the end of 2025, while Hong Kong Airlines has started flying to Australia and North America again.
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