In style: Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer David Pang says airport city development is an irresistible global trend for the 21st century.

Asia-Pacific's first Airport Cities World Conference & Exhibition has been launched at AsiaWorld-Expo, offering a platform for executives to exchange views and share strategies on the development of airport cities.

The two-day conference will see about 280 senior executives and top management from 40 airports worldwide discuss how airport cities contribute to regional and global economies.

It will also see the largest participation of top officials and senior management of the Mainland's aviation industry in the event, including the General Administration of Civil Aviation and 17 airports such as Beijing Capital International Airport, Shanghai Pudong International Airport and Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport.

Hong Kong Airport Authority Chief Executive Officer David Pang said the global aviation conference, formerly held in Dubai, Pittsburgh, Orlando and Rome, reinforces Hong Kong's status as an international and regional transport hub, and gateway to the Mainland.

He said leading airports in the world have been undergoing rapid and fundamental changes over the past decade and are no longer simply infrastructure for passengers to embark and disembark.

Focal point

"Major airports are evolving from a city's airport to an airport city, becoming the focal point of people, cargo, capital and information flow. An airport city will be an increasingly important economic growth engine for local and regional development," Mr Pang said.

"Six years ago, we embarked on our journey to build our own airport city, or SkyCity as we call it. A destination in its own right, SkyCity's diversified and customer-friendly facilities and benchmark-setting services will provide a unique, pleasant and memorable experience for all passengers and other airport users."

SkyCity, consisting of landmark projects, is located on the east side of the airport's passenger terminal. The Hong Kong International Airport Tower will open at the end of this year, while Terminal 2 - a new passenger terminal housing the shopping, dining and entertainment mecca, SkyPlaza - will have its soft opening this year.

SkyCity Nine Eagles Golf Course and the Airport World Trade Centre are set to open next year, and the permanent SkyPier cross-boundary ferry terminal and the second airport hotel will become operational in 2008.