On June 1, Hong Kong International Airport is set for the grand opening of a new terminal built to meet increasing demand for passengers and strengthen its role as a regional and international transportation hub.

The opening ceremony of the airport's Terminal 2 will be officiated by Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen and top officials of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, which runs the facility.

The opening is part of the celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong's handover in 1997.

"The new terminal will cater for future expansion. We expect there will be a need to meet increased passenger demand here," a spokeswoman for the authority said.

"We see a strong upward trend in the number of passengers."

The 140,000-square-meter terminal, one-fourth the size of Terminal 1, already began a phased opening in February.

Some 130 retail and catering outlets started opening during the month, while carriers Oasis Hong Kong and Emirates were among the first batch of airlines moving into the new facility in March. More carriers will progressively move to the terminal.

The new terminal is for departing passengers but not for arrivals. It serves 10-15 percent of the total number of passengers using the airport.