XN000022-1975-10-28 — Page 2

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1975

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MODEST GROWTH IN AIR TRAFFIC

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THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT RECORDED A CONSTRAINED GROWTH' FOR BOTH PASSENGER AND FREIGHT TRAFFIC IN 1974-75 DUE TO THE WORLD-WIDE ECONOMIC RECESSION.

ACCORDING TO A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEPARTMENT, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CARRIED DURING THIS PERIOD WAS 3,663,462, AN INCREASE OF 0.01 PER CENT OVER THE PRECEDING YEAR. AS FOR FREIGHT, 104,122 METRIC TONS WERE CARRIED TO AND FROM HONG KONG, AN INCREASE OF 3.38 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH 1973-74.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 23 YEARS, THE DEPARTMENT RECORDED A REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS THROUGH HONG KONG IN 1974-75.

THE

DECREASE

THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT IN AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS WAS MAINLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO REDUCED TRAFFIC DEMAND RESULTING FROM INCREASED AIR FARES AND THE WORLD-WIDE RECESSION. BUT, HE SAID, ANOTHER REASON WAS THE INTRODUCTION OF WIDE-BODIED AIRCRAFT OFFERING LARGE INCREASES IN NET CAPACITY.+

THE MOVEMENTS OF WIDE-BODIED AIRCRAFT IN 1974-75 INCREASED BY 60 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THERE ARE NOW TWELVE AIRLINES WHICH OPERATE THE LARGER TYPE OF WIDE-BODIED AIRCRAFT THROUGH HONG KONG WITH MORE THAN 200 MOVEMENTS A WEEK,+ HE CONTINUED.

THE TOTAL NUMBER OF INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS IN 1974-75 WAS 53,206, OR A DECREASE OF 2.1 PER CENT WHEN COMPARED WITH THE PRECEDING YEAR. IN 1973-74, ANNUAL AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS TOTALLED 54,162.

IN CONTRAST TO PASSENGER AND FREIGHT MOVEMENTS, AIR MAIL HAD A MUCH HIGHER GROWTH RATE THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. IN 1974-75, A TOTAL OF 4,600 METRIC TONS OF MAIL WAS CARRIED INTO AND OUT OF HONG KONG, REPRESENTING A RATE OF INCREASE OF 17.9 PER CENT. IN THE PRECEDING YEAR, THE INCREASE WAS ONLY 0.9 PER CENT.

ALTHOUGH THE WORLD-WIDE RECESSION HAS AFFECTED THE AIR TRAFFIC GROWTH RATE IN HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN SAID, THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT THE WORLD-WIDE ÉCONOMIC FACTORS AFFECTING AIR TRAFFIC WILL IMPROVE, ALLOWING PREVIOUSLY PREDICTED LONG-TERM GROWTH POTENTIAL IN AIR TRAVEL TO BE ACHIEVED.+

THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1974-75 SAW THE COMPLETION OF THE APRON SERVICES COMPLEX, THE RUNWAY EXTENSION, AND TWO NEW PIERS WITH THEIR THREE ASSOCIATED TRANSFER VEHICLE DOCKS. THIS, COMBINED WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENT WORK, HAS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TOWARDS THE MORE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE AIRPORT.

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