The history of Kai Tak Airport, Part One

HF: The story of Kai Tak started in 1912 when two businessman, Ho Kai and Au Tak, formed the Kai Tak Investment Company to reclaim land in Kowloon for development.

The land was acquired by the government for use as a airfield after the business plan failed. In 1924, Harry Abbott opened the Abbott School of Aviation on that piece of land. Soon, it became a small grass strip runway airport used by the RAF, and by several flying clubs which, over time grew to include the Hong Kong Flying Club, the Far East Flying Training School, and the Aero Club of Hong Kong; these exist today as an amalgamation known as the Hong Kong Aviation Club.

In 1928 a concrete slipway was built for seaplanes that used the adjoining Kowloon Bay.

The first control tower and hangar at Kai Tak was built in 1935. In 1936, the first domestic airline in Hong Kong was established.

Hong Kong fell into the hands of the Japanese on 12 December 1941, during World War 11. In 1942, the Japanese army expanded Kai Tak, using many Allied prisoners of war (POW) labourers, building two concrete runways, 13/31 and 07/25. Numerous POW diary entries exist recalling the gruelling work and long hours working on building Kai Tak.

During the process, the historic well of the Kowloon Walled City and the 45 metre tall Sung Wong Toi, a memorial for the last Sung dynasty emperor were destroyed for materials. A 2001 Enviromental study recommended that a new memorial be erected for the Sung Wong Toi rock and other remnants of the Kowloon area before Kai Tak.

It was also the location of HMS Nabcatcher, a Royal Navy Mobile Operational Naval Air Base (MONAB) V111, which was situated here between 1945 and 1947. At the start of April 1947, it was decommissioned, and concurrently re-commissioned as HMS Flycatcher. At the end of December, HMS Flycatcher was officially decommissioned at Kai Tak, although the Royal Navy retained lodger rights until 1978.

Source: Wikipedia
This article was first posted on 10th March 2026.