Following is a question by the Hon Tang Ka-piu and a reply by the Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Ms Mable Chan, in the Legislative Council today (November 4):

Question:

     It has been reported that following the Government's launch of the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector - Aviation Industry (the Scheme) in July 2023, the overall income of some local frontline airport employees has fallen, affecting their livelihood. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
 
(1) whether it knows the median monthly basic wages, the average number of overtime hours and the average amounts of overtime allowance of local employees in the 10 frontline job types covered by the Scheme over the past three years; of the changes in these figures compared with those before the implementation of the Scheme;
 
(2) whether it knows the actual amount disbursed and the number of employees benefiting each month since the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) introduced the measure of transport subsidies for local frontline airport employees in May 2024, and the current balance of the funds for the transport subsidies; whether AAHK will study raising the transport subsidy ceiling to $500 per month to ease the burden of transport expenses on airport employees; and
 
(3) whether the Government will reconsider the proposal to introduce arrangements for the priority allocation of public housing units in Tung Chung to local employees working at the airport who meet the eligibility criteria for public housing applications; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?

Reply:

President,

     To relieve the acute manpower shortage in the aviation industry and support the continual development of Hong Kong's aviation industry, the Government launched the Labour Importation Scheme for the Transport Sector - Aviation Industry (the Scheme) in July 2023 to allow licensees, franchisees or holders of operating permits issued by the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) to suitably apply for labour importation to fill vacancies for frontline non-supervisory jobs under 10 designated job types at the airport, with a quota ceiling of 6 300. On the premise of safeguarding local workers, employers must prove that they have made efforts in recruiting local workers but are still insufficient to meet the manpower needs for business expansion before applying for imported workers under the Scheme. Furthermore, the wages offered for positions under local recruitment must be no less than the latest median wage for the applied position, and the ratio of full-time local employees to imported workers (including those imported under other labour importation schemes) must meet the requirement of 2:1.
 
     Having consulted the Housing Bureau, my reply to the question raised is as follows:

(1) The Government and the AAHK have been closely monitoring the manpower situation at the airport and have encouraged the airport community to prioritise the recruitment of local employees, while making local employees the core workforce. The monthly median wage levels for the 10 designated job types under the Scheme (including the 2023 median wage levels and the figures adjusted in November 2025 following a review) are detailed in the Annex. Overall, the wages of employees of relevant job types increased by around 3.4 per cent to 3.8 per cent during the period. We will continue to review the median wages of the relevant job types and make adjustments as appropriate to ensure that the figures reflect the latest situation.
 
     With the gradual recovery of air traffic and the progressive commissioning of various new airport facilities, the demand for manpower at the airport continues to increase. During the pandemic, the overall workforce at the airport once dropped to approximately 53 000. In the early stages of recovery, manpower supply was tight and some frontline staff might have had to work overtime for longer hours. Through active local recruitment efforts by the AAHK and the airport community, the overall airport workforce has increased by more than 40 per cent to around 75 000 in the first quarter of 2026, of which local employees account for more than 90 per cent. As the manpower supply gradually improves, the airport's overall staffing needs and working hours have also gradually stabilised.

     According to the AAHK, local employees of the 10 designated job types under the Scheme have generally worked around 20 to 40 hours of overtime per month in recent months. The compensation arrangements for overtime work are determined by individual employers based on their business, operational and labour market conditions.

     Since the inception of the Scheme, the AAHK has maintained regular and close communication with labour unions, holding meetings approximately every six months. Frontline work at the airport has certain unique characteristics. The actual manpower requirements and overtime arrangements vary, depending on factors such as flight operations, air traffic volume and other actual operational needs. Therefore, overtime hours and related allowances may fluctuate during different periods due to the aforementioned reasons, and it is not appropriate to make direct comparisons based solely on overtime hours or allowance levels in individual periods.

     The AAHK will continue to maintain communication with employers, industry partners and labour unions to understand the manpower needs and salary market conditions for relevant job types, thereby providing appropriate follow-up and support in accordance with the overall development and operation of the airport.

(2) The MTR Corporation Limited and various franchised bus companies have all along been providing fare concession schemes for airport staff, allowing them to travel on the Airport Express and designated franchised bus routes at discounted fares.

     In addition, at the Government’s initiative, the AAHK co-ordinates funding contributed by both the employers of imported workers and the AAHK for each imported worker to provide transport subsidies for local frontline airport staff since May 2024. Eligible recipients must be local frontline airport employees employed by eligible companies and engaged in the 10 designated job types under the Scheme. The public transport subsidy for each eligible employee is capped at $400 per month, with a minimum of $100 per month. Currently the scheme benefits over 8 300 eligible employees each month, with an average monthly disbursement of approximately $1.3 million. The existing balance is expected to be sufficient to sustain the subsidies for at least the next few years.

     The AAHK will continue to maintain communication with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the transport subsidy, and will conduct reviews as appropriate.

(3) The objective of the Hong Kong Housing Authority is to provide public rental housing (PRH) to those who cannot afford private rental accommodation. Reserving a portion of newly completed PRH flats for special priority allocation to a single specific industry (such as airport staff) would be unfair to other applicants waiting for PRH allocation.

     The majority of airport staff currently reside in the New Territories and Islands District (including Yuen Long, Tuen Mun, Tung Chung). Since the commissioning of the Tuen Mun-Chek Lap Kok Link in 2020, transportation to and from the airport has become much more convenient, attracting more talent from different districts to the aviation industry.

     Meanwhile, with the ongoing Tung Chung New Town Extension Project, over 180 000 new residents are expected to gradually move into the Tung Chung area. The AAHK will continue to actively organise recruitment events in the area, and collaborate with airport community business partners and non-governmental organisations to provide more after-school activity support for children of airport staff living in Tung Chung, helping airport workers to focus on their work with peace of mind.

Ends/Wednesday, November 4, 2026
Issued at HKT 14:20

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