I see that 10 years ago (yikes) I was complaining about the North Satellite Concourse at Hong Kong airport (because the only way to get there was by buses that sometimes had to wait for planes to pass).

They did finally link it up to the main terminal (in 2022), using a bridge.  And yet...

The first problem is that the maps of Terminal 1 that you will see when you get through security don't show the North Satellite Concourse at all - on closer inspection that's because they show the lounges, and the NSC doesn't have one.  Probably because it only has 9 gates, all for the smaller A320 / A321 single aisle planes.

What a strange decision to make with map, though, given that probably 95% of passengers won't be looking for a lounge, they'll be wanting to know where to find their gate.  In case you're wondering, look for gate 12 and then you'll find the wonder bridge.

And, no, I don't want to use the terrible map on the HKIA website.  There is a decent pdf map (of course there is) here - found via this webpage which explains the changes to gate numbering, including the fact that these NSC gates used to be 501-510.  

But, hey, apparently this is great:

Passengers can enjoy the extraordinary experience of an aircraft passing beneath their feet   

The bridge is 28 metres high - quite a long way up and down again the other side.  So passengers and aircrew have to use the escalators to get there.  There is a lift but it's only available for the disabled, presumably because it's too small.

So everyone has to take their cabin luggage (including small suitcases) on these fairly steep escalators.  Which seems strange because almost everywhere else in Hong Kong (and beyond) the advice is not to do that, and to use the lift instead.  But not here, oh no.

When you get there, the facilities are not great.  The Starbucks was being renovated when I was there, and there were queues for water and the toilets.  As far as I know, you can't go back to the main concourse.

Is this all temporary?  Will it be abandoned when Terminal 2 opens?