180
COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT
At the end of 1981, there were 31 airlines operating some 1 000 scheduled passenger and cargo services each week between Hong Kong and the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada, South Africa, the Middle East, China, Australia, the South Pacific region and Asian countries. Eleven other airlines operated about 30 non-scheduled services to and from Hong Kong a week.
International aircraft movements rose by 1.5 per cent from previous year's total of 54 569 to 55 393. About 70 per cent of the aircraft calling at Hong Kong International Airport were of the wide-bodies type, signifying a continuing move by airlines towards the larger aircraft to meet traffic needs.
During the year, Air Lanka launched a new twice weekly passenger/cargo service between Hong Kong and Colombo; Cathay Pacific Airways and Civil Aviation Administra- tion of China resumed services on the Hong Kong/Shanghai route; and the Chinese flag-carrier also started new services to Hong Kong from Kunming, Tianjin and Nanjing towards the end of the year.
=
Hong Kong International Airport, which has been undergoing a four-stage development programme in the last two decades, took a new look with the completion of the long-term building programme towards the year's end. Over the years, the runway has been extended from 2 540.90 metres to 3 357.95 metres; the parking apron from accommodating 10 aircraft to between 29 and 33 aircraft depending upon aircraft types; a new integrated air cargo terminal has been built and a much expanded passenger terminal building with new sophisticated passenger facilities has been developed. The handling capacity has risen from the originally designed 550 passengers an hour to over 5 000 passengers an hour.
In 1981, new facilities provided included a large re-modelled greeting area, an extended buffer hall, a new check-in island and a fourth baggage reclaim loop. A new computerised aerodrome lighting control system was also brought into use. More shops were established in both the air-side and the land-side for the convenience of departing passengers.
The replacement airport studies progressed as planned during the year. Following governmental acceptance of recommendations by the Director of Civil Aviation, consult- ants were engaged in February to undertake an airport master planning study, as one of a series of related studies for a replacement airport at Chek Lap Kok off northern Lantau. A contract was awarded to a firm of consultants in February to begin an airport master planning study as one of a series of studies to be conducted in connection with the project. The consultants are to develop an airport master plan which will define the phased development of the replacement airport in terms of the location of the runways and all airport facilities. They are also charged with the task of looking into aircraft operations aspects, including arrival and departure procedures and associated aircraft noise and building height restrictions in the vicinity of the airport, and up-dating the order of costs for constructing the replacement airport. The same group of consultants was also awarded a separate contract to carry out an engineering design study of the Chek Lap Kok site plus a test reclamation. In September, another firm was engaged to carry out a study of the marine environment, and the Hong Kong University to conduct a study of the flora and fauna on Chek Lap Kok. The results of these studies together with the findings of others yet to be started but related to the proposed replacement airport and north Lantau developments will be presented to government before the end of 1982.
Postal Services
A new Air Mail Centre built at a cost of $13.4 million was commissioned in August 1981. All outgoing air parcels are processed at this centre at Hong Kong International Airport