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SUNDAY, JANUARY 23, 1977
IN ADDITION, MORE THAN 40 MONITORS ARE PLACED IN VARIOUS POSITIONS INCLUDING THE RESTAURANT AND BAR AREAS FOR THE CONVENIENCE OF ALL USERS OF THE AIRPORT.
THE DISPLAY IS SELECTIVE SO THAT ONLY CERTAIN INFORMATION REQUIRED BY PASSENGERS, WELL-WISHERS OR STAFF IN A PARTICULAR PART OF THE AIRPORT IS SHOWN. FOR EXAMPLE, THE BAGGAGE RECLAIM AREA FLAPBOARD WILL IDENTIFY FOR ARRIVING PASSENGERS THE PARTICULAR CONVEYOR BELT FROM WHICH THEY CAN RECLAIM THEIR LUGGAGE.
THE FIDS IS FURTHER COMPLEMENTED BY ILLUMINATED DIRECTIONAL GUIDANCE SIGNS WHICH SERVE TO INDICATE THE CORRECT ROUTE FOR EITHER DEPARTING OR ARRIVING PASSENGERS TO FOLLOW.
THE SIGNS SHOW THE PASSENGERS THEIR APPROPRIATE DESTINATION BE IT AIRCRAFT, TRANSIT LOUNGE, CUSTOMS, IMMIGRATION OR BAGGAGE RECLAIM AREA.
MR. DOWNING SAID THAT THE FIDS HAD BEEN ON TRIAL FOR SOME CONSDIERABLE TIME TO ENSURE PERFECTION OF THE SYSTEM BEFORE BEING BROUGHT INTO OPERATIONAL USE.
HE DESCRIBED THE OLD FLIGHT INFORMATION SYSTEM, WHEN COMPARED WITH FIDS, AS +QUITE INADEQUATE TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF A MODERN AND VERY BUSY INTERNATIONAL AIR-TERMINAL+.
IN THE PAST, AMENDMENTS TO FLIGHT INFORMATION HAD TO BE SET BY HAND AND PUT IN PLACE FOR SCREENING BEFORE THEY COULD BE RELAYED TO THE TV MONITORS. NUMEROUS TELEPHONE CALLS WERE NECESSARY TO ALERT THE VARIOUS AIRCRAFT HANDLING AGENCIES OF FLIGHT DETAILS.
+THERE WAS ONLY ONE FLIGHT DISPLAY BOARD IN THE ARRIVAL HALL AND ANOTHER ONE AT THE DEPARTURE LEVEL, BOTH OF WHICH HAD TO BE ATTENDED AND REVISED MANUALLY BY AIRPORT STAFF. IN ORDER TO UPDATE THE FLIGHT MOVEMENTS ON THE BOARDS, THE STAFF HAD TO TELEPHONE THE INFORMATION CENTRE FOR DETAILS WITH CONSEQUENT RISK OF DELAY,+ HE SAID.
UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM, MR. DOWNING SAID THE FIDS OPERATORS ARE REQUIRED TO FEED LATEST INFORMATION PROGRESSIVELY INTO THE COMPUTER. THIS IS DONE BY TYPING ON A KEYBOARD WHICH IMMEDIATELY ACTIVATES THE FLAPBOARDS TO CORRECT OR UPDATE THE INFORMATION SHOWN ON THE TV SCREENS.+
BEFORE IMPLEMENTING THE FIDS PROPOSAL, TWO OFFICERS OF THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT HAD VISITED LONDON, PARIS, WASHINGTON, NEW YORK AND HONOLULU TO STUDY THE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AT THESE AIRPORTS. AFTER CAREFUL STUDY, THEY THEN DREW UP FINAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR A SYSTEM MOST SUITABLE FOR HONG KONG'S PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS.
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