As a major aviation hub, it’s not just air travellers that make their way to Hong Kong International Airport each day, but thousands of staff who work behind the scenes to keep the airport running. However the premium fares charged by public transport operators serving the terminal can be a sticking point – hence staff travel discount schemes exist.
The Legislative Council detailed these schemes in 2017.
According to the Operating Agreement signed between the Government and the MTR Corporation upon the rail merger in 2007, the Airport Express Line is not a public transport mode for daily commuting, but mainly for business and travelling.
Members noted that in light of the traffic expenses incurred by airport staff travelling between urban areas and the airport, MTRC had put in place an “Airport Staff Discount Travel Scheme”. Airport staff could use Airport Staff Octopus Card to take AEL at a concessionary fare at the current level of around 57% off.
Under the scheme, airport staff are eligible to apply for the scheme if they are hired by recognized companies or organizations and are certified by their employers to be working for at least four days every week within the airport area. In 2015, a daily average of more than 7,500 passenger trips were made using this concession scheme.
There was a view that similar concessions could be apply to all train trips and franchised bus routes stopping at HKIA. In response, the Administration indicated that it had been encouraging public transport operators to offer fare concessions as far as possible having regard to various factors including the operators’ own operational and financial situations, service nature of individual routes and passenger demand. In respect of franchised bus services, discounted fares in the range of some 10% to 44% off the regular fares were offered to airport staff on specified airport bus routes and overnight airport bus routes.
These discounted fares require a special “Airport Staff Personalized Octopus” card.
Which is issued via a convoluted online application process, where the MTR validates that the applicant works for an eligible airport employer.
And can then be used to receive a discounted fare on the MTR Airport Express line, Citybus A- and NA- series airport express bus routes, and a handful of Long Win Bus operated A- and NA- airport bus routes.
And just to complicate matters, Citybus also operates their own “Designated Staff Fare Concessions Scheme” that doesn’t require a “Airport Staff Personalized Octopus, just an application completed via their own online system.
Further reading
- MTR Airport Staff Discount Travel Scheme terms and conditions
- Citybus Designated Staff Fare Concessions Scheme terms and conditions
- Airport Express staff discount fare table
- Public bus airport staff discount fare table
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