Hong Kong is counting down to the “milestone” launch of the reconfigured second terminal at the international airport on May 27, which will feature technology-led services to ease existing bottlenecks, the city’s transport minister has said.

Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said on Saturday that the new Terminal 2 was ready to serve travellers, highlighting new technologies from hardware to software that would enable more efficient processing for departing travellers.

The Airport Authority, which manages the airport, expects the revamped terminal to handle about eight million passenger trips in the first year of operation.

Chan, who recently injured her left foot, visited Terminal 2 twice in the past month with the aid of crutches.

“Hong Kong’s golden brand will reach another milestone with the opening of Terminal 2,” she said in a blog post on Saturday.

Terminal 2 was reconfigured as part of the airport’s HK$141.5 billion (US$18.1 billion) three-runway system upgrade, designed to boost Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub by expanding overall capacity and improving efficiency amid strong competition in the region.