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Transport
Air Traffic in 2012
In 2012, 55.66 million passengers (excluding transit passengers) passed through HKIA, a rise of 4.7 per cent over 2011, the airport handled 4.03 million tonnes of cargo, a rise of 2.2 per cent over 2011, and there were about 352,000 flights to and from Hong Kong, a rise of 5.3 per cent over 2011. Hong Kong's total imports, domestic exports and re-exports carried by air accounted for 38.6 per cent, 27.7 per cent and 33.7 per cent respectively in value terms in 2012.
Home Market Expansion
The airport continues to expand its extensive land and sea connections to the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region. In 2012 there were about 85 daily ferry trips between SkyPier and Guangzhou's Nansha, Shenzhen's Shekou and Fuyong, Dongguan's Humen, Zhongshan, Zhuhai's Jiuzhou and Macao's Maritime Ferry Terminal and Taipa. With 550 daily scheduled coach trips, passengers enjoy convenient services between the airport and over 110 destinations in Guangdong, Guangxi and Fujian provinces. The number of cross-boundary round trip limousines serving Mainland cities and towns daily reached 580 in 2012.
Airport Services
Scheduled to open in early 2013, the new air cargo terminal operated by Cathay Pacific will feature a $1.4 billion cargo handling system. The new facility will increase the airport's total annual capacity by 50 per cent to 7.4 million tonnes. A third hangar for business aviation, occupying an area of approximately 4,000 square metres and with accommodation for six jets, commenced service in June 2012 to cater for the sector's robust growth.
Development of HKIA's midfield has begun. The project includes a new passenger concourse and 20 aircraft stands, a cross-field taxiway and an extension of the automated people mover that will link the Midfield Concourse to Terminal 1. When completed by the end of 2015, it could handle 10 million passengers annually. Furthermore, an additional 28 parking stands will be available by the end of 2014.
Preparation for Growth
The Government has given the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) approval in principle to adopt, for planning purposes, the three-runway system for the HKIA's long-term development. It has also approved the AAHK's recommendation to proceed with the planning work related to the development of the three-runway system, which includes the statutory Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the associated design details, and the financial arrangements. In August 2012, the AAHK commenced the EIA study upon receipt of the Director of Environmental Protection's EIA Study Brief.
The HKIA's planned three-runway system is expected to be able to cope with air traffic demand up to at least 2030, by which time the annual passenger and cargo throughput is forecast to increase to 97 million and 8.9 million tonnes from 55.66 million (excluding transit passengers) and 4.03 million tonnes (in 2012) respectively. Annual air traffic movements are forecast to increase to 602,000 from about 352,000.
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