Hong Kong Set to Reopen Runway After Cargo Plane Crash That Killed Two Airport Workers

Hong Kong authorities on Tuesday prepared to reopen the runway where a cargo plane crashed a day earlier, though it will remain out of regular use until the wreckage is fully cleared.

The Boeing 747, operated by Türkiye-based ACT Airlines and leased by Emirates, skidded off the runway after landing from Dubai early Monday. It veered left, collided with a patrol car, and both plunged into the sea. Two airport workers in the vehicle were killed, while all four crew members aboard the aircraft escaped without injuries.

Repairs to the runway and damaged fencing have been completed, said Steven Yiu, the Airport Authority’s executive director of airport operations, in an interview with Radio Television Hong Kong. He added that investigators have gathered initial evidence, but the cockpit voice recorder and flight data recorder have not yet been recovered.

Authorities plan to place the runway on standby status from Tuesday noon, meaning it can be used for emergency or limited landings but will not be part of regular flight operations.

Yiu said the runway will remain on standby until the aircraft wreckage and the submerged patrol car are retrieved from the sea. Recovery work cannot begin until Tropical Storm Fengshen passes the city, but officials hope to complete clearance within a week, depending on weather conditions.

Investigators are continuing to collect evidence to determine the cause of the crash. Both weather and runway conditions met operational standards at the time, Yiu noted, while possible mechanical or human factors remain under investigation.

The incident marks the second fatal crash involving ACT Airlines. In 2017, a Boeing 747 operated by the company under the name MyCargo crashed while attempting to land in dense fog in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, killing all four crew members and 35 people on the ground. Investigators in that case blamed pilot error and poor weather conditions for the tragedy.