XN000022-1976-05-12 — Page 2

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12, 1976

DRASTIC INCREASE IN AIR FREIGHT ******

THE COLONIAL SECRETARY, SIR DENYS ROBERTS, SAID TODAY (WEDNESDAY) THAT THE AMOUNT OF CARGO HANDLED AT THE AIRPORT HAD RISEN ALMOST FIFTY TIMES DURING THE LAST 19 YEARS.

SPEAKING AT THE OPENING OF THE HONG KONG AIR CARGO TERMINAL HE SAID THAT LAST YEAR 14 PER CENT OF HONG KONG'S IMPORTS AND 26 PER CENT OF ITS EXPORTS, BY VALUE, WERE CARRIED BY AIR.

SIR DENYS PREDICTED THAT THE TERMINAL, WITH ITS MECHANICAL HANDLING SYSTEMS, WOULD BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL AIR CARGO UNTIL ABOUT 1985.

HE DESCRIBED THE TERMINAL AS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE WAY IN WHICH THE GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE COULD COMBINE IN A JOINT VENTURE.

FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THE COLONIAL SECRETARY'S SPEECH 1-

+ IT IS BOTH AN HONOUR AND A PLEASURE TO OFFICIATE AT THE OPENING OF THIS MAGNIFICENT NEW AIR CARGO TERMINAL, WHICH WILL PROVIDE HONG KONG WITH FACILITIES FOR THE HANDLING OF AIR FREIGHT AS EFFICIENT AS THOSE AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.

+1 NEED NOT REMIND YOU THAT HONG KONG LIVES BY TRADING AND THAT WE CAN NEVER AFFORD TO LAG BEHIND OUR COMPETITORS IN THE PROVISION OF EFFECTIVE METHODS OF HANDLING, DESPATCH AND RECEIPT OF THE GREAT VARIETY OF MANUFACTURED GOODS WHICH WE EXPORT, AND OF THE RAW MATERIALS WHICH WE IMPORT.

+IN THE PAST, OUR TRADE WAS CONDUCTED ALMOST ENTIRELY BY SEA. INDEED, AS RECENTLY AS 1956, ONLY 3115 TONS OF CARGO WERE HANDLED AT THE AIRPORT. BY 1975, THIS HAD RISEN ALMOST FIFTY TIMES. LAST YEAR, 14 PER CENT OF OUR IMPORTS AND 26 PER CENT OF OUR EXPORTS, BY VALUE, WERE CARRIED BY AIR,

+NOT ONLY THE VOLUME OF OUR FREIGHT, BUT THE METHODS OF HANDLING IT HAVE CHANGED DRAMATICALLY. IN 1956, THE TYPICAL FREIGHTER WAS A +DAKOTA+, WHICH CARRIED ABOUT 5 TO 6 TONS OF FREIGHT AT A MAXIMUM SPEED OF ABOUT 200 M.P.H. NOW THE BOEING 747F, THE BIGGEST OF THE PRESENT GENERATION OF FREIGHTER AIRCRAFT, CAN CARRY OVER 100 TONS OF CARGO AT NEARLY 600 M.P.H.

/+INEVITABLY,