Kai Tak Airport closed 28 years ago today

Kai Tak Airport, once one of the world’s most iconic and talked-about airports, closed its doors 28 years ago today.

A few basic facts to kick off with:

• Location: Kowloon City District, Hong Kong.
• Opened: 25th of January 1925 and served as Hong Kong's main international airport for 73 years
• Closed: 6th of July 1998
• Replaced by: Hong Kong International Airport (Chek Lap Kok Island)
• Kai Tak completely closed overnight in a carefully planned switch.
• New airport opened: Hong Kong International Airport known as Chek Lap Kok opened at 06:00 the same morning 

After closure the terminal buildings were later demolished, and the site was reused as a

• cruise terminal
• housing development
• sports facilities (Kai Tak Sports Park today)

The runway area partly remains as reclaimed 
For most of its life, Kai Tak was Hong Kong’s only international airport and sat right inside a dense urban area—apartments, streets, and markets were directly under flight paths.

What was it that made Kai Tak legendary I hear you ask.

1. The “heart-stopping landing”

• Aircraft approached over Victoria Harbour and Kowloon City
• Famous “checkerboard turn”: pilots had to turn sharply at low altitude to line up with the runway
• Planes flew very close to apartment rooftops
• Passengers could literally see into people’s homes
• Tension, noise, vibration, people on rooftops watching planes pass overhead like giants.

2. The runway experience

The airport had only one runway (13/31), which extended into the harbor on reclaimed land and measured 3,390 metres (11,122 feet) when it closed.
• Runway stuck into the harbour
• Surrounded by buildings and hills
• Strong winds + tight space made landings difficult
• “Passengers would often grip their armrests as the plane banked sharply over Kowloon…”

Key moments:
Last scheduled arrival: Dragonair flight from Chongqing landed at 23:38 (5th of July)
Last scheduled departure: Cathay Pacific flight to London left at 00:02 (6 July)

Other facts:

• One of the busiest airports in the world
• Extremely tight landings between skyscrapers
• Known for “dangerous but skilled” aviation reputation
• Tourism and aviation enthusiasts worldwide gathered just to watch planes land

Residents in Kowloon City were used to:
very loud aircraft noise overhead, windows rattling during takeoff/landing, tourists peering into neighborhoods from planes