To meet future air traffic growth, the Airport Authority (AA) has been planning to expand Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) into a three-runway system (3RS) since 2008.

In June 2011, the AA published the HKIA Master Plan 2030 which outlined HKIA’s future development options. A three-month public consultation exercise was carried out to collect views and feedbacks of the public. Seventy-three percent of respondents supported the proposal to expand HKIA into a three-runway system.

In August 2012, the AA received the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study Brief from the Director of Environmental Protection which sets out the scope of environmental issues to be addressed in the EIA study. Based on the Study Brief, the AA commenced the EIA studies covering 12 environmental areas, assessing the potential environmental impact of the Project. On 7 November 2014, the 3RS project reached an important milestone with the approval of the EIA report and granting of Environmental Permit (EP) by the Director of Environmental Protection.

The AA is committed to carrying out all the mitigation measures proposed in the EIA report, and fully complying with all the conditions listed by the Environmental Protection Department in a highly prudent, transparent and professional manner, with the aim of achieving a balance between economic development and environmental conservation.

Under the requirements of the EP (EP No. EP‐489/2014), the AA is required to set up a dedicated Internet website for placing the environmental monitoring and audit data and Project information. This website contains the relevant environmental monitoring and audit data and Project information including the Project Background, EIAO Documents, EP Submissions, Baseline Monitoring Report, EM&A Reports, EM&A Data, information on Community and Professional Liaison Groups and Information Centre.