HKIA strengthens Belt and Road links with Turkish and Uzbek deals

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has significantly bolstered its strategic footprint across Belt and Road nations following the execution of two pivotal aviation agreements during the Belt and Road Summit. The bilateral commitments aim to enhance international air cargo connectivity and extend expert operational management services to emerging aviation hubs in Central Asia and Europe.

The first milestone involves a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) exchanged between Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) and Turkey’s premier private cargo carrier, MNG Airlines. Exchanged directly by Vivian Cheung, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), and Ali Sedat ÖZKAZANÇ, CEO of MNG Airlines, the signing took place under the official witness of Nicolas Ho, Commissioner for Belt and Road.

The MoU establishes a framework to deepen cooperation between HKIA and the Turkish carrier in several strategic domains. Key pillars of the collaboration focus on elevating direct air connectivity, advancing operational excellence, elevating service quality, and facilitating mutual exchanges of management expertise and operational knowledge. Furthermore, the partnership emphasises a joint commitment to supporting sustainable aviation development and nurturing industry talent through training courses administered by the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy.

Headquartered at Istanbul Airport, MNG Airlines holds a prominent position as Turkey’s pioneer privately owned cargo airline, managing freighter operations across more than 60 international destinations throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. MNG Airlines currently maintains a reliable schedule of 8 to 10 freighter flights per week linking Turkey directly with Hong Kong. Driven by robust growth in trade demand between the regions, the airline actively aims to expand its flight frequencies along the HKIA route in the near future.

Highlighting the strategic importance of these expanding networks, Vivian Cheung, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK), said, “As of March 2026, HKIA is connected to 78 destination airports in 41 countries in Belt and Road regions. We are pleased to further deepen HKIA’s aviation ties with Belt and Road countries, reinforcing our role as an international aviation hub.”

In a parallel development designed to export local aviation expertise, Hong Kong International Airport Consultancy Limited (HKIA Consultancy) finalised a major cooperation agreement with Harvest Epoch Strategic (International) Investment Limited (Harvest Epoch). This transaction targets the modernisation and management enhancement of Navoi International Airport in Uzbekistan, a critical logistics hub along the Belt and Road corridor.

The agreement was formally signed by Simon Li, CEO of HKIA Consultancy, alongside Yip Koon Shing, Chief Strategic Officer of Harvest Epoch. The ceremony was conducted in the presence of distinguished witnesses, including Nicolas Ho, Commissioner for Belt and Road; Alisher Klichev, Director of Navoi International Airport; Vivian Cheung, CEO of AAHK; and Hermas Tang, Principal Advisor, Aviation Logistics of Harvest Epoch. Through this venture, the contracting parties intend to leverage HKIA’s extensive experience and operational acumen to accelerate the development, technical efficiency, and operational capabilities of Uzbekistan’s key hub airport.