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this would be a reasonable thing to do in economic terms, i.e. to allocate marginal costs to marginal benefits - then the additional charges would be so astronomically high that we would hear no more about load penalties. As it is, the extension is virtually certain to result in higher charges, although how the total should be allocated between different classes of users remains an open question.
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The truth is that the only really substantial interest Hong Kong itself has in an extended runway is the increase in the safety margin, particularly for the population of Kowloon. But, if we were looking at the safety margin only, I am not sure that we would need as long an extension as is proposed. I may add that the cost of the planned extension of 2,530 feet to the promontary, giving an extra 2,780 feet of runway, is now estimated to be $115 million.
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