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Denise Tsang

Oscar Liu

The authority managing Hong Kong International Airport has taken over the retail operations of 11 Skies from New World Development ahead of the opening of Terminal 2, the South China Morning Post has learned.
Multiple sources said the Airport Authority had assumed control of key components of the 2.66 million sq ft retail and dining space, representing 70 per cent of the entire project.
But it remains unclear whether the authority has also taken over the rest of 570,000 sq ft of experiential entertainment space and 570,000 sq ft of grade A offices.
The move marks a significantly reduced role for New World, which in 2018 won the rights to design, build and operate the HK$20 billion (US$2.5 billion) project.
The authority said on Wednesday night that it continued to communicate closely with New World about the 11 Skies project, adding that the body was going “full steam” ahead with the development.
It added that the positioning of 11 Skies would align with the overall Skytopia project.
“As consumer behaviour has changed since the pandemic, there will be a stronger emphasis on entertainment and dining,” a spokesman said.
In a statement on the Hong Kong stock exchange the next day, New World said it had been in discussions with the authority to revisit and explore “any possibility” for changes in the contractual arrangements relating to the 11 Skies project.
“Such discussions are ongoing, and no agreement has been reached with Airport Authority Hong Kong in relation to any changes to such contractual arrangements relating to the 11 Skies project,” it said.




During an SCMP reporter’s visit to 11 Skies on Wednesday, a five-minute walk from the AsiaWorld-Expo station on the Airport Express MTR line, only two restaurants were operating, including one coffee shop.
The restaurants served mainly staff working at offices upstairs.
Scheduled to open in stages from 2022 to 2025, the shopping centre’s shopfronts were largely boarded up with hoardings printed with the authority’s Skytopia project, with the lights mostly switched off.
The ground floor had little activity, with two staff members stationed at the concierge while all escalators were cordoned off.
KidZania, a gigantic entertainment zone catered to children, underwent a trial in 2024 ahead of its planned 2025 opening, but it was never opened for business.
The Skytopia development is a HK$100 billion megaproject managed by the authority as part of the city’s ambition to transform the Chek Lap Kok area from merely a transit hub into a world-class destination and a pillar of the Greater Bay Area economy.
The SCMP learned that New World had collected some deposits from retailers planning to open stores.
In addition, all of New World’s staff who worked at 11 Skies either left their jobs or transferred to other New World units such as its flagship shopping centre K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui, the SCMP understands.
A source said the authority was considering various options to absorb the space at 11 Skies, which was designed to house more than 800 stores and become the city’s biggest mall upon opening.
Some proposed uses for the space included long-term exhibitions celebrating Cantonese cinema’s heyday, overseas examination venues for local and mainland Chinese students, and housing local arts groups.
Another source said leaders of Windmill Grass Theatre, a 23-year-old local theatre group since 2003 that recently lost its residency at the Kwai Tsing Theatre, recently visited 11 Skies for a site inspection.
The 11 Skies project is closely tied to the airport’s reconfigured Terminal 2, which is due to be opened on May 27.

The authority earlier said 15 airlines operating regional routes and some low-cost carriers would relocate to Terminal 2 from Terminal 1 between May 27 and June 10.
The project was tendered in 2018 when the city’s tourist arrivals hit an all-time high, before the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic between 2020 and 2023.
After the borders reopened, a new trend emerged with mainland visitors – the city’s largest inbound groups – spending less and Hongkongers choosing to cross the border for leisure spending.
The massive investment in 11 Skies partly contributed to New World’s debt crisis at one stage. The SCMP also learned that the group had to pay the authority a fixed income no matter how well or badly the project performed.
The authority said on Wednesday that key Skytopia projects would be completed in stages in 2028. These included yacht bay facilities, the second phase of AsiaWorld-Expo and the autonomous transport link connecting the airport and Tung Chung.
“The Airport Authority is fully confident in the Skytopia development, and considers it is an opportune time for 11 Skies to begin opening its mall by phases in 2028, complementing the key Skytopia projects,” it said.


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11 Skies at Skycity near Hong Kong International Airport, Chek Lap Kok. Photo: Karma Lo

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Authority says it continues to communicate closely with New World about 11 Skies project, and is going ‘full steam’ ahead with development


Authority says it continues to communicate closely with New World about 11 Skies project, and is going ‘full steam’ ahead with development.


Hong Kong Airport Authority takes over 11 Skies retail from New World: sources

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Authority says it continues to communicate closely with New World about 11 Skies project, and is going ‘full steam’ ahead with development

Authority says it continues to communicate closely with New World about 11 Skies project, and is going ‘full steam’ ahead with development