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TRANSPORT
substances, such as chemicals, may be discharged as wastes from ships into the waters of Hong Kong or to the open sea. The observance of these new international measures by Hong Kong ships will make a positive contribution to the curbing of chemical pollution and to a cleaner marine environment internationally.
Civil Aviation
The Civil Aviation Department is responsible for all aspects of civil aviation in Hong Kong other than the licensing of scheduled air services, which falls within the purview of the Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA), an independent statutory body.
Prior to the establishment of the Airport Development Studies Division in October 1987, the department consisted of five divisions dealing with air traffic control, aviation safety, technical and planning matters, international relations governing air services, and manage- ment of Hong Kong International Airport. The new division was established to consider the future development of the airport and to examine options available to the government as regards the timing, location and provision of any replacement airport. The department is also provided with accounting services to control revenue and expenditure, and office management services for staff establishment, discipline and welfare.
Hong Kong International Airport, a single-runway airport, is the product of a con- tinuous programme of modification and development to meet the significant growth in air traffic and the introduction of new aircraft types in recent times. A full range of facilities is available, including aircraft engineering and maintenance, in-flight catering and one of the largest air freight complexes in Asia.
Passenger throughput and cargo traffic increased considerably in 1987. There were 12.7 million passengers, which represented an increase of 19.8 per cent over the total of 10.6 million in the previous year. General cargo, including manufactured goods imported, exported and re-exported by air, totalled 611 000 tonnes as compared with 536 000 tonnes in 1986. The value of airborne goods totalled $162,649 million. Viewed against Hong Kong's total trade in imports, exports and re-exports, imports by air made up about 20 per cent, exports by air about 27 per cent and re-exports by air about 18 per cent in value terms. The United States was the major market for exports and re-exports by air, accounting for 47 per cent and 22 per cent respectively, of the trade.
An increase of 13.2 per cent in aircraft movements was recorded, bringing the annual total to 73 370. More than 80 per cent of the aircraft calling at Hong Kong were wide-bodied.
The year saw the introduction or re-introduction of scheduled air services to Hong Kong by Rosenbalm Aviation, Federal Express, All Nippon Airways, World Airways and Air New Zealand. This raised the number of scheduled airlines serving Hong Kong to 37, which together operated about 1200 direct flights weekly between Hong Kong and some 77 other cities. In addition, an average of 80 non-scheduled flights were operated each week.
Throughout 1987, Cathay Pacific Airways continued to increase the frequency and capacity of its services to major cities. To cope with this increase, it acquired a fifth B747-300, a second B747 freighter and a 10th L1011. The acquisition of the additional freighter enabled the airline to double its cargo capacity on European routes and mount additional all-cargo services to Japan and Taiwan. Cathay Pacific Airways also operates eight B747-200 aircraft, and so by the end of 1987 it had a fleet of 25 aircraft.
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines continued to operate scheduled services to Chiangmai and Phuket in Thailand, and non-scheduled services to a number of cities in Asia. The airline increased its fleet to three B737s with the arrival of a third aircraft in April.
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