Introduction
Hong Kg is an important centre for world and regional finance.
trade. manufacturing and tourise. To maintain its econcaic success, it is essential that Hong Kong's port and airport are
capable of handling the high volumes of traffic which are forecast to occur in the next decades.
To Beet these requirements the Hong Kong Government produced the Port and Airport Development Strategy, following 17 years of intermittent study on the airport site in particular. It is a coherent
overall plan for Hong Kong's future needs, but its component parts are different in nature and will be financed by different
methods. They are therefore described separately below
2.
Airport
(i)
Need for a new airport
Even with the benefit of the current HK$3.6 billion expansion
package, Kai Tak
between 1994 and
new airport were
airport will reach saturation point somewhere
1996. Consultants have estimated that if no
built and Kai Tak were saturated hetween 1006
business potentially worth
and 2010, Hong Kong would lose HKS101 billion (at 11989
11989 prices). This would severely damage Hong Kong's economy, and its competitive position in the region.
(ii)
Site for a new airport
every possible site for a
About 30 sites have heen
The more serious
Since 1973 when Our studies began
replacement airport has been examined.
locked at in various degrees of detail.
alternatives to Chek Ian Kok. primarily sites in the WesTAYN
Harbour and Deep Ray, have been examined at length. But all the
alternatives were found to be less attractive than Chek Lap Kok.
(iii)
Cost and Financing of the new airport
The rough estimate of the
consultants in 1989 nzics
cost of the airport as provided by