The Airport Authority (AA) said on Wednesday that it reached an agreement with New World Development to terminate the sublease of the 11 Skies development project early. The property developer will hand over the mega complex located near the Hong Kong International Airport and the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge on April 1 next year along with the assets in connection with the development at no cost, and provide cash and cash equivalents of more than HK$3 billion to the authority. The authority said the 11 Skies project will complement Skytopia – a HK$100 billion mega project that aims to transform the area around the airport into a world-class destination for tourism as well as business activities, linking the city and the Greater Bay Area. Its chairman, Fred Lam said the 11 Skies project is more than a usual shopping complex. “The scale of the project is well-suited for large scale entertainment facilities and experience-driven offerings that would not be possible in other indoor venues in Hong Kong. It will be a unique entertainment hub that forms an integral part of Skytopia, whose attraction is not only about stunning hardware,” he said. “We believe it is the software – the contents, culture and holistic offering of an appealing environment that hold the key to success.” The authority's CEO Vivian Cheung, for her part, said the AA has also set up a new subsidiary dedicated to the project, and it aims to commence operations along with major Skytopia components in 2028-29. Edited by Aaron Tam