PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
1.
Introduction
Hong Kong is an international financial and trading centre. It is also a major tourist centre and home to almost six million people. If the future economic growth of the SAR is not to be restricted, it is essential to expand Hong Kong's port and airport facilities. In order to provide a firm basis for Hong Kong's future prosperity, the Hong Kong Government have devised a strategy for the long term development of Hong Kong's port and airport.
2.
Airport
(i)
Need for a new airport
Even after
The economic studies commissioned by the Hong Kong Government show a clear need to build a new international airport to replace Kai Tak as soon as possible. the current HK$3.6 billion programme to increase its facilities, Kai Tak airport will reach saturation point by the mid 1990s. Without a new international airport, Hong Kong is likely to lose business worth HK$101 billion (at current prices) between 1996 and 2010. This would severely damage the economy of the Hong Kong SAR and undermine its competitive position. The objective is to open the first runway at Chek Lap Kok in 1997.
The new airport which is to be built at Shenzhen will not remove the need for a new international airport in Hong Kong. The Shenzhen airport is only designed to handle 3.4 million passengers a year by the year 2000; the new
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CONFIDENTIAL