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FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 1975.
PASSENGER SAFETY AT KAI TAK IS WELL LOOKED AFTER
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A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT TODAY ASSURED AIR PASSENGERS USING KAI TAK AIRPORT THAT THEIR SAFETY IS FULLY PROVIDED FOR BOTH BY THE AIRLINES AND THE DEPARTMENT.
HE WAS COMMENTING ON NEWSPAPER REPORTS CONCERNING THE RECENT MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATION (IFALPA) WHICH NAME SEVERAL AIRPORTS AS BEING DEFICIENT FOR VARIOUS REASONS, INCLUDING SLIPPER INESS OF RUNWAY AND INADEQUACY OF APPROACH LIGHTING AND INSTRUMENT APPROACH GUIDANCE SYSTEMS.
AS HONG KONG IS INCLUDED IN THE LIST OF AIRPORTS, THE REPORTS MIGHT GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT KAI TAK IS DEFICIENT IN THESE LISTED AREAS, WHEREAS NO CRITICISM IS LEVELLED AT KA! TAK'S APPROACH GUIDANCE SYSTEMS, OR RUNWAY CONDITION.
+ IN FACT KAI TAK'S FACILITIES IN THESE AREAS ARE OF A VERY HIGH STANDARD, HE SAID.
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+THE ALLEGED DEFICIENCY CONCERNING HONG KONG IN THE IFALPA REPORT IS SPECIFIC TO SEPARATION BETWEEN RUNWAY AND TAXIWAY AT KAI TAK THEREFORE IT IS OF INTEREST THAT THE ADEQUACY OF THIS SEPARATION WAS THE SUBJECT OF A STUDY BY THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SOME YEARS AGO WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE RISK OF AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT ARISING FROM RUNWAY/TAXIWAY SEPARATION WAS NOT GREATER THAN THE RISK ACCEPTED IN OTHER FACETS OF AIRCRAFT OPERATION.
+NONETHELESS, CONSULTANTS ENGAGED TO CARRY OUT THE LONG TERM PLANNING INVESTIGATION OF THE HONG KONG AIR TRANSPORT SYSTEM WERE COMMISSIONED TO CARRY OUT A FURTHER DETAILED INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER IN 1973/74 AND CONCLUDED THAT THE EXISTING RUNWAY/TAXIWAY SEPARATION AT KAI TAK PROVIDED AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY FOR ALL AIRCRAFT PRESENTLY OPERATING THROUGH HONG KONG.
+INDEED THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF AIRLINE PILOTS ASSOCIATIONS GIVES ASSURANCE IN THIS RESPECT, BY CONFIRMING THAT MEMBER PILOTS OF THE ASSOCIATION WOULD NOT BE FLYING INTO AIRPORTS WHICH WERE NOT CONSIDERED SAFE.
+AIR PASSENGERS USING KAI TAK MAY THEREFORE REST ASSURED THAT THEIR SAFETY IS FULLY PROVIDED FOR BOTH BY AIRLINES AND THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT.+
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