SUNDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1979
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KAI TAK AIRPORT BEING EXTENDED AND MODERNISED
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KAI TAK, HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, IS BEING EXTENDED AND MODERNISED UNDER ITS LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME.
EARLY NEXT MONTH, THE NEW EXTENSIONS TO THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE LEVELS WILL BE OPENED, MAKING THE GREETING AREA AND THE DEPARTURES HALL MORE SPACIOUS.
AT THE SAME TIME, NEW PASSENGER FACILITIES WILL PROGRESSIVELY BE BROUGHT INTO USE. THESE INCLUDE A DEPARTURE CHECK-IN ISLAND COMPRISING 36 COUNTERS FOR AIRLINES, A GROUP BAGGAGE CONVEYING SYSTEM AND AN INCLINED +RACE-TRACK+ BAGGAGE RECLAIM UNIT.
+ALL THESE NEW FACILITIES ARE BEING MADE AVAILABLE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TRAFFIC GROWTH AND DEMAND FOR ADEQUATE SERVICES IN THE YEARS AHEAD, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AIRPORT MANAGEMENT SAID.
+AN ANNUAL GROWTH OF ABOUT 10 TO 12 PER CENT IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC IS EXPECTED IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS AND IT IS ESSENTIAL TO MAKE AVAILABLE NEW FACILITIES AT THE AIRPORT TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT, HE SAID.
*THE EXISTING DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME WILL CONTINUE FOR ABOUT TWO MORE YEARS AND IN EARLY 1982, KAI TAK AIRPORT WILL HAVE TAKEN A NEW LOOK AND BE READY TO ACCEPT THE CHALLENGES OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE DECADE,+ THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.
THE NEW CHECK-IN ISLAND IS SIMILAR TO THOSE IN THE EXTENDED PASSENGER TERMINAL, EACH OF THE 36 COUNTERS HAS BEEN EQUIPPED WITH A CONVEYORISED WEIGH SCALE WHERE BAGGAGE, AFTER BEING CHECKED AND WEIGHED, WILL BE FED TO A LATERAL CONVEYOR.
THIS CONVEYOR BELT IS LINKED TO A SEMI-AUTOMATIC BAGGAGE SYSTEM AT THE TERMINAL BASEMENT WHERE BAGGAGE WILL BE SORTED BY A COMPUTER AND CHANNELLED TO DESIGNATED POSITIONS FOR LOADING ONTO AIRCRAFT.
THE GROUP BAGGAGE SYSTEM WILL DELIVER THE BAGGAGE OF DEPARTING GROUP TRAVELLERS VIA A VERTICAL CONVEYOR BELT TO A COLLECTION POINT FOR LOADING ONTO AIRCRAFT. IT WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE ABOUT 1 000 BAGS PER HOUR.
THE NEW BAGGAGE RECLAIM UNIT, THE THIRD OF ITS TYPE TO BE BROUGHT INTO OPERATION IN THE BAGGAGE RECLAIM HALL, WILL BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE PASSENGER BAGGAGE OF A JUMBO JET WITHIN 15 MINUTES.
BAGGAGE OF ARRIVING PASSENGERS WILL BE FED BY TWO INDUCTION BELTS ONTO THE INCLINED +RACE-TRACK+ CONVEYOR AT A RATE OF ABOUT 70 BAGS PER MINUTE.
JAM DETECTION DEVICES ARE PROVIDED AND IF A BAG IS BLOCKED AT ANY POINT, AN INDICATOR SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE JAM WILL ENSURE RAPID ATTENTION.
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/AFTER THE