Hong Kong Covid facility at old airport takes off as youth hostel, culture hub

An unused Covid-19 isolation facility at a prime sea-view site in the heart of Hong Kong will be transformed into a youth hostel and cultural hub, offering 2,900 units at affordable rates and expected to debut in September.

The project, renamed “Runway 1331” and located at the former Kai Tak airport, is expected to provide young people with opportunities for entrepreneurship, cultural exchange and talent development.

Named after the old airport’s single airstrip, designated Runway 13/31, the project has been developed by Glorise Tourism and Culture, a joint venture between the central government-owned China Tourism Group and entrepreneur Winnie Chiu Wing-kwan. Chiu is also president of hotel chain Dorsett Hospitality International.

“We hope Runway 1331 ultimately will develop into the world’s biggest incubator for the youth,” Chiu said on Sunday.

The project utilises 3,000 unused isolation rooms with private toilets located in dozens of four-storey buildings on an 11.5-hectare (28.4 acres) site. The isolation facility was built during the Covid-19 pandemic with the support of the central government.