FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1977
AIRPORT PASSENGER HANDLING CAPACITY
WILL BE DOUBLED BY YEAR END
******
THE PASSENGER HANDLING CAPACITY OF KAI TAK AIRPORT WILL BE MORE THAN DOUBLED BY THE END OF THIS YEAR WHEN A NEW EXTENSION TO THE EAST OF THE EXISTING TERMINAL BUILDING COMES INTO OPERATION.
THE EXTENSION IS PART OF THE $300 MILLION IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMME TO SPEED UP PASSENGER FLOW AT KAI TAK AIRPORT WHICH IS ALREADY ONE OF THE BUSIEST AND BEST EQUIPPED AIRPORTS IN THE FAR EAST.
AT PRESENT THE PASSENGER HANDLING CAPACITY IS 2,200 PERSONS AN HOUR, BUT WITH THE NEW EXTENSION COMING INTO FULL OPERATION BY THE YEAR'S END, IT WILL BE INCREASED TO ABOUT 4,500 PERSONS AN HOUR.
MEANWHILE, A NEW DEPARTURE CONCOURSE WILL BE OPENED FROM NEXT MONDAY (AUGUST 15).
MR. R.E. DOWNING, DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, SAID TODAY THAT THE PASSENGER HANDLING CAPACITY WOULD PROGRESSIVELY RISE TO 5,500 PERSONS AN HOUR WHEN MODIFICATION TO THE EXISTING TERMİNAL BUILDING WAS COMPLETED.
+THE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME HAS BEEN CAREFULLY PHASED AND FROM NEXT MONDAY, THE CHECK-IN AREAS IN THE EXTENSION ON THE FIRST-FLOOR LEVEL WILL BE PUT INTO USE AND THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY THE OPENING OF A PORTION OF THE GROUND FLOOR EXTENSION A LITTLE LATER, + MR. DOWNING SAID.
+AS PART OF THE PROGRAMME, A FLYOVER FOR EAST-BOUND TRAFFIC FROM PRINCE EDWARD ROAD TO SERVICE THE AIRPORT AT THE DEPARTURES LEVEL WILL BE BUILT AND IT IS DUE FOR COMPLETION IN 1979, + HE SAID.
OTHER IMPROVEMENTS WILL INCLUDE THE EXTENSION OF A NEW BAGGAGE SYSTEM TO THE EXISTING TERMINAL BUILDING, FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THE AIRSIDE ARRIVALS PIER, A NEW AIRPORT RESTAURANT, A MULTI-STOREY CAR PARK AND AN EXTENSION OF THE WEST PODIUM AT THE FIRST-FLOOR LEVEL TO IMPROVE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
MR. DOWNING WENT ON THAT CONTINUING DEVELOPMENT OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING AND THE AIRPORT FACILITIES WAS ESSENTIAL TO KEEP PACE WITH THE RAPID GROWTH IN AIR PASSENGER TRAFFIC THROUGH HONG KONG.
+ THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE IN PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTING THESE IMPROVEMENTS HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO ENSURE THAT THE STANDARD OF SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE TERMINAL FACILITIES CAN MEET THE DEMANDS PLACED UPON THEM BY THE INCREASING PASSENGER TRAFFIC THROUGH THE AIRPORT,+ HE SAID.
/ON COMPLEXION