The ambitious 11 Skies retail and office complex next to Hong Kong International Airport is struggling with vacant shops and delayed openings, facing significant challenges as it prepares to launch.

Inside a massive retail and office complex called 11 Skies next to Hong Kong International Airport, all 800 shops sit vacant and only two of 120 food outlets were open earlier this month. They were supposed to begin operating in the 3.8 million sq ft development – equivalent in size to about 53 football pitches – by last year. A recent South China Morning Post visit to 11 Skies found it largely empty, with areas cordoned off and store spaces boarded up with hoardings featuring adverts for the...