Published: February 28, 2019
AirportHistory.org takes you back on a trip back to the early years of the Jet Age to see what life was like at the legendary Kai Tak Airport!
Kai Tak Airport served as Hong Kong's international airport from 1925 until 1998. The airport was known for its spectacular location with the skyscrapers and mountains of Kowloon located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour. Landing at the airport from the north was a breathtaking experience, and one which required special training for pilots.
Kai Tak Airport served as Hong Kong's international airport from 1925 until 1998. The airport was known for its spectacular location with the skyscrapers and mountains of Kowloon located to the north and its only runway jutting out into Victoria Harbour. Landing at the airport from the north was a breathtaking experience, and one which required special training for pilots.
Overview

A 1962 aerial view showing the newly built passenger terminal. It was a state-of-art facility for its time with departing and arriving passengers being split between two levels. An elevated roadway brought passengers to the departure level. Total construction cost at the time was one million British pounds.
A great video about the opening of the new Kai Tak Airport terminal in 1964.
Departing Kai Tak
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Arriving at Kai Tak
Great video of a Swissair Convair CV-990 landing in Kai Tak in 1964. Hong Kong footage starting from 6.35 minutes.
A day of leisure at Kai Tak
That concludes our tour of Kai Tak Airport in the 1960s! A full history on the airport, featuring many more never-seen-before images and fascinating facts, will be posted at a later date.
Did you fly through Kai Tak? Leave a comment below and share your memories!
Did you fly through Kai Tak? Leave a comment below and share your memories!