Airport upgrades: Travellers will clear security before completing immigration formalities during and upon the airport's departure immigration hall reconfiguration.

Hong Kong International Airport is reconfiguring the North and South Departures Immigration Halls in Terminal 1 to meet increasing demand for passenger services.

Set for completion by next year's third quarter, the $90 million project will increase security channels from 18 to 32. Travellers will clear security before completing immigration formalities during and upon the reconfiguration.

Airport Authority General Manager Henry Ma said the airport is upgrading its facilities and expanding its passenger-handling capacity to serve 50 million passengers a year.

The departure immigration halls will include an additional security channel during the reconfiguration and the authority will deploy extra staff to ensure smooth passenger flow.

The authority launched a $4.5 billion enhancement programme in 2006 to be completed in phases by 2011.

Other Terminal 1 programmes include consolidating two arrival immigration halls, adding new transfer desks, immigration counters and security channels for arriving and transit passengers, and expanding baggage-handling capacity.

The authority has built 10 new cargo stands and resurfaced two runways. Two rapid-exit taxiways are operating while a new north satellite concourse will enter service next year.