COMMUNICATIONS
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Traffic Control, Telecommunications, Air/Sea Rescue, Fire and Crash, Aeronautical Information, Aircraft Registration and Air- worthiness and, in conjunction with the Royal Observatory, also provides an Aeronautical Meteorological Information Service. Messrs. Cable & Wireless (Far East) Ltd. are responsible for the technical maintenance of the Colony's aeradio services.
The Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. provides aero- nautical engineering facilities in the form of aircraft and engine maintenance, repairs and overhaul. The Far East Flying Training School provides primary flying training as well as training in Aeronautical Engineering and Electronics. Early in the year the Government decided that, in view of the heavy capital cost of the reprovisioning of the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company's facilities, forced upon the Company by the airport development plan and by certain town planning requirements, Government would finance the establishment of a modern aircraft maintenance depot, the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co., Ltd. being given a tenancy of the area and buildings against repayment of rent and capital expenditure over a number of years.
The cost of constructing the new airport is being borne by local funds assisted by an interest-free loan of £3,000,000 from the United Kingdom Government. The cost is now estimated to be at least $140,000,000 (£8,750,000). The Consulting Engineers, Messrs. Scott & Wilson, Kirkpatrick & Partners, working under the general direction of the Director of Public Works supervise all phases of the constructional planning and work at the airport, and the Director of Civil Aviation co-ordinates operational requirements. An Airport Progress Committee under the Chairmanship of the Deputy Financial Secretary (Economic) reviews overall planning and expenditure as necessary.
All air services to Hong Kong Airport are on international routes. Nineteen airlines, including two locally based airlines, operate air services connecting Hong Kong with the principal world air routes at a frequency of 184 flights to and from Hong Kong a week. Charter operations increased considerably during 1959, particularly in the transport of ships' crews between Hong Kong and Europe; there were 292 such flights during the year. Notable features of the year's operations were the introduction by Cathay Pacific Airways of the prop-jet Lockheed Electra aircraft