Iceland-Bound Jet for Edward Snowden 'Could Take Off Tomorrow'

I'm assuming that the chartered yet ($240,000, yikes!) is necessary because there are no direct flights between Hong Kong and Iceland?

I mean, he still has to pass through Hong Kong passport control and everything on the way out, if he's doing this "legally" -- if they're publicly announcing something like this, then I assume the plan is not to smuggle him out.