SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 1987
AIRPORT PROPOSAL TO BE STUDIED CAREFULLY
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THE GOVERNMENT WILL STUDY VERY CAREFULLY AND SERIOUSLY A PROPOSAL BY A GROUP OF PRIVATE DEVELOPERS TO BUILD AN AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK, THE ACTING GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID AKERS-JONES, SAID TODAY (SUNDAY).
SPEAKING TO REPORTERS AFTER ATTENDING THE +1987 HONG KONG WALK FOR A MILLION, SIR DAVID CONFIRMED THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD RECEIVED THE PROPOSAL WHICH HE DESCRIBED AS A VERY IMAGINATIVE SCHEME.
POINTING OUT THAT KAI TAK AIRPORT IS STILL SERVING A USEFUL AND SATISFACTORY PURPOSE, HE SAID THE PROPOSAL DESERVED A VERY SERIOUS STUDY.
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+BUT IT HAS TO BE RELATED TO HOW LONG KAI TAK WILL SERVE US AS A USEFUL AIRPORT BECAUSE KAI TAK HAS A VERY GREAT ADVANTAGE FOR HONG KONG. IT IS VERY CLOSE TO DOWNTOWN HONG KONG AND THE AIR CARGO TERMINAL IS VERY CLOSE TO OUR FACTORY AREAS,
+90 THERE IS NO DOUBT KAI TAK HAS A LOT OF ADVANTAGES FOR HONG KONG WHEREAS AN AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK OR ANYWHERE ELSE WOULD BE AT LEAST AN HOUR'S MOTOR RIDE AWAY FROM DOWNTOWN HONG KONG, HE SAID.
SIR DAVID FELT THAT THE PROJECT HAD OTHER INTERESTING ASPECTS WHICH SHOULD NOT BE WHISKED ASIDE JUST BECAUSE OF THE IMAGINATIVE CONCEPT OF THE PROPOSED AIRPORT.
*THE EXTENSION OF THE PORT TO THE WEST OF HONG KONG IS ONE OF THE PROPOSALS WHICH CAME FORWARD IN THE STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT STUDY OF THE GOVERNMENT, HE SAID.
+SO, IT MAY BE THAT THE MARRIAGE OF THESE TWO SCHEMES IS A POSSIBILITY IN THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF HONG KONG'S HARBOUR, SIR DAVID NOTED THAT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE HARBOUR WAS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE AIRPORT AT THE PRESENT MOMENT.
HE DISAGREED THAT THE PROPOSAL WAS IMPRACTICAL. *WE KNOW THAT TO BUILD AN AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK IS A PRACTICAL POSSIBILITY JECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY DONE A VERY MAJOR STUDY ON CHEK LAP KOK, WE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE DONE.+
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, HE SAID THE GOVERNMENT DID NOT EARLIER TURN DOWN THE IDEA OF BUILDING AN AIRPORT AT CHEK LAP KOK.
+WE SAID AT THAT TIME WE DIDN'T NEED TO BUILD AN AIRPORT BECAUSE, AS IT'S BEEN DEMONSTRATED, KAI TAK IS STILL SERVING A VERY USEFUL AND SATISFACTORY PURPOSE.
/+WE DIDN'T