The memorandum then suggests that there is a case for a definitive study of the extent to which Kai Tak can be fully developed before going on to consider three options which would need to be further studied if and when it becomes evident that Kai Tak cannot cope with demand.
The Advantages and Disadvantages of retaining Kai Tak
3.
4.
+
Advantages
(a) it could well be a better use of resources to spend funds on a reasonable extension of the life of Kai Tak than to proceed
to proceed rather sooner with a completely new facility; there is no point in making a considerable financial investment earlier than is justified.
any case there has been a considerable investment over the years in the airport's infrastructure and associated facilities (e.g. roads and tunnel); and
(b) Hong Kong's
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a)
In
international airport would be retained in its very convenient and cost effective central location. It is close to hotels and to important commercial and industrial centres.
Disadvantages
increasingly severe constraints on traffic growth, at. least after the mid-1990s, for example, due to runway capacity;
even to attain the maximum capacity of Kai Tak and to overcome other constraints (for example, shortage of aircraft parking accommodation) considerable expenditure will be required;
some
aviation safety and land traffic congestion problems
and
environmental disadvantages associated with the location of Kai Tak will remain to various degrees. These problems could, however, be reduced to some extent by the clearing of the corridor directly under that part of the flight path adjacent to Kai Tak;
while clearance of the
corridor under the
existing problems
flight path may reduce some environmental disadvantages many of the
will remain and may be exacerbated as the result
of planned
and anticipated result in further
development. This may restraints on development in the vicinity of Kai Tak; and