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COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
of lifting vessels of up to 100,000 tonnes deadweight. Hong Kong has more than 130 minor shipyards equipped to undertake repairs to small vessels. These yards also build specialised craft, particularly sophisticated pleasure craft and yachts.
Hong Kong remains a prominent centre for the recruiting of seamen. The Seamen's Recruiting Office and the Mercantile Marine Office register and supervise the employment of 19,000 seamen on board 1,200 vessels of all flags. The Hong Kong Merchant Navy Training Board met three times during 1980 to continue to assess the needs of local seamen. Particular emphasis has been placed on the need for an improvement in the standard of training of Hong Kong seamen, having regard to the recent International Conference on Training and Certification of Seafarers, 1978, under the auspices of the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organisation (IMCO). The Mariners' clubs in Kowloon and Kwai Chung continue to provide recreational and welfare facilities of a high standard for visiting seamen of all nationalities. Steps are being taken to improve relations in this field by the setting up of a Port Welfare Board which will enhance the activities of the present Port Welfare Committee.
Civil Aviation
The international air transport industry went through a difficult year during 1980 as a result of increasing fuel prices which cut deeply into the profitability of the industry. Consequently, airlines were forced several times to make upward revisions in air fares and cargo rates to offset their higher operating costs.
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Hong Kong, though not particularly hard-hit by these enhanced fares and cargo rates, nevertheless suffered a slight setback. During 1980, a total of 6.8 million passengers travelled by air through Hong Kong, representing an increase of about nine per cent over 1979. This was the first time in five years that the passenger traffic growth rate had dropped to below 10 per cent. The number of transit passengers, however, rose from the 1979 total of 550,000 to 680,000.
The air freight industry remained buoyant but as a result of high rates, some shippers switched to sea transport to cut down on costs. In terms of volume of cargo handled, the industry registered zero growth with a total throughput of some 258,000 tonnes. The value of goods carried, however, was estimated to amount to more than $44,000 million, rep- resenting an increase of more than 20 per cent over 1979. In all, the volume of freight forwarded by air carriers in 1980 accounted for about one-fifth of Hong Kong's domestic imports in terms of value; nearly one-quarter of its exports; and more than one-quarter of the re-export trade. The United States remained the major market for Hong Kong's exports sent by air, accounting for about 40 per cent of products, and for imports air-freighted into Hong Kong, took over the lead from Japan with about 22 per cent of the total.
Towards the end of 1980, 31 airlines were operating more than 960 scheduled passenger and cargo services each week between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, China, the United States, Canada, Europe, South Africa, the Middle East, Australia, the South Pacific region and Asian countries. In addition, more than 10 airlines operated about 40 non- scheduled services a week.
International aircraft movements for the year decreased by 2.4 per cent from 55,928 to 54,569. The drop was mainly due to the continuing move by airlines towards wide-bodied aircraft to cope with traffic needs, and partly due to the worldwide slowing down of traffic growth which forced some airlines to cut down on the frequency of their flights. At year's end, about two-thirds of the aircraft calling at Hong Kong International Airport were of the wide-bodied type.