XN000022-1974-05-28 — Page 3

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TUESDAY, MAY 28, 1974

+IN THE LONG TERM THIS COULD HAVE AN EFFECT ON THE COST OF CARRIAGE FROM HONG KONG. ARTICULARLY FREIGHT CHARGES BY CHARTERED AIRCRAFT, AND THIS COULD MAKE OUR GOODS THAT MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE. IT IS PERHAPS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT ABOUT 18 PER CENT BY VALUE OF ALL OUR EXPORTS GO BY AIR, AND THEREFORE WE MUST PRESERVE OUR COMPETITIVE POSITION WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS.+

THE EXTENSION OF THE RUNWAY PROMONTORY ALSO PROVIDES FOR A HIGH SPEED TURNOFF TO AN AIRCRAFT MARSHALLING AREA, HE WENT ON.

+AIRCRAFT LANDING TOWARDS THE SOUTH-EAST WILL BE ABLE TO TURN OFF THE RUNWAY AT MUCH HIGHER SPEEDS THAN THEY DO AT PRESENT AND THIS WILL INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE RUNWAY AS A WHOLE.

+THE MARSHALLING AREA ITSELF WILL ENABLE CONTROLLERS TO SEQUENCE AIRCRAFT DEPARTING TO THE NORTH-WEST 30 THAT A FASTER AIRCRAFT CAN BYPASS A SLOWER ONE ON THE GROUND, RATHER THAN BE FACED WITH THE COMPLICATION OF OVERTAKING IT IN THE AIR.

+THIS ABILITY WILL HELP TO EXPEDITE AND SIMPLIFY THE FLOW OF AIR TRAFFIC FROM HONG KONG, HE EXPLAINED.

MR. DOWNING SAID THE EXTENDED RUNWAY WILL ALSO PROVIDE A MEASURE OF RELIEF FROM THE AIRCRAFT, TAKING OFF TOWARDS THE NORTHWEST, THEY WILL START THEIR TAKE OFF RUN ABOUT HALF A MILE FURTHER AWAY FROM KOWLOON, AND THIS WILL MEAN THAT THEY COULD BE AS MUCH AS 300 FEET HIGHER IN PASSING OVER KOWLOON CITY.

+THIS WOULD GIVE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN NOISE LEVEL.+

IN THE CASE OF AIRCRAFT LANDING OVER KOWLOON, THE REDUCTION OF THE NOISE LEVEL WILL BE HARDLY NOTICEABLE, AS AIRCRAFT WILL BE ONLY SOME 300 FEET OR SO HIGHER THAN THEY ARE AT PRESENT.

+THE TUNNEL ROAD FEEDING KWUN TONG CUTS ACROSS THE NORTHWEST END OF THE RUNWAY, AND THIS WILL MEAN THAT ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET OF THE TOTAL LENGTH OF RUNWAY WILL BE LOST ALMOST AS SOON AS THE EXTENSION IS FINISHED, + HE ADDED.

+IT SHOULD TAKE ABOUT ONE YEAR FOR THE TUNNEL CUTTING ACROSS THE RUNWAY TO BE COMPLETED AND THE RUNWAY RESTORED TO ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION. DURING THIS PERIOD ABOUT 1,000 FEET OF THE EXTENDED RUNWAY WILL BE LOST.

+HONETHELESS, OPERATING CONDITIONS WILL BE CONSIDERABLY IMPROVED OVER WHAT THEY ARE AT PRESENT,+ MR. DOWNING SAID.

NOTE TO EDITORS:

CONSORTIUM EXPECTED TO SUBMIT

DETAILED DESIGNS ON MTR IN DUE COURSE

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COMMENTING ON A REPORT IN AN ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER ABOUT SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY, A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID THAT THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY HAD HEARD NOTHING FROM THE CONSORTIUM ABOUT THIS MATTER. THE AUTHORITY HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT THE REPORT WAS BASED ON THE CORRECT FACTS.

THE REQUIRED PERFORMANCE SPECIFICATIONS OF THE RAILWAY WITHIN THE CEILING PRICE OF $5,000 MILLION HAVE BEEN SENT TO THE CONSORTIUM OVER THE PAST MONTHS. THE CONSORTIUM 1S KNOWN TO BE WORKING ON THESE SPECIFICATIONS AND WILL PROVIDE THE PROVISIONAL AUTHORITY WITH DETAILED DESIGNS AND PROPOSALS IN DUE COURSE.

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