5
Sir A.
Burns.
The Kai Tak airport of Hong Kong was
completed some twelve years ago on a site in the
New Territories bordering upon the north eastern verges
There was no level area on the
of the harbour.
Island proper, and this was the only convenient
available site within reasonable distance of the city
and the harbour. The Air Force were anxious for the
project to be pressed forward and Air Ministry funds
contributed half the cost in return for the free use
of the airport for service, land, and sea planes.
Three years ago the land area of the aerodrome was
extended at a cost in which the Air Ministry again
shared. At the same time the Air Ministry were
themselves engaged in preparing two aerodrome sites
R-A-F. well away in the New Territories for purely service
They however made little headway with that work
in view of the uncertainty as to the Hong Kong defence
scheme, and as a result those plans have not been
completed and such use as the R.A.F. may have for
facilities in Hong Kong for aircraft apart from the
apart
use.
facilities provided in one of H.M. aircraft carriers
which is based on Hong Kong are still provided by
Kai Tak.
But the great development in the airport
and its use has been for civil aircraft, and the aim
~ Plaphas
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of making Hong Kong a prominent Junction of the air
for international air lines connecting with China has
resulted in a steady advance in the numbers and types of air liners using the port which is now equipped with
every day and night flying facility for the largest
machines.
The number of passengers arriving and
departing rose from 3,700 in 1937 to 10,000 in 1938.
The