XN000022-1976-07-09 — Page 5

FRIDAY, JULY 9, 1976

NEW AIRPORT GENERAL MANAGER DUE SHORTLY

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AN EXPERIENCED CIVIL AVIATION MAN AND A FAMILIAR FACE TO HONG KONG, MR. KEN SMITH, ARRIVES FROM AUSTRALIA ON JULY 31 TO TAKE UP THE POST OF AIRPORT GENERAL MANAGER AT KAI TAK.

HE HAS BEEN APPOINTED TO SUCCEED THE RETIRING MR. H.M. (JOHNNY) JOHNSTON WHO LEAVES ON JULY 15 TO JOIN THE OVERSEAS CONSULTANCY SERVICE DEPARTMENT OF THE BRITISH AIRPORTS AUTHORITY IN LONDON.

MR. SMITH'S ASSOCIATION WITH KAI TAK BEGAN IN FEBRUARY 1973 WHEN, FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF A PREVIOUS AIRPORT GENERAL MANAGER, MR. BILL MORGAN, HE WAS SECONDED TO HONG KONG FROM THE MELBOURNE (TULLAMARINE) AIRPORT WHERE HE WAS SENIOR DIRECTOR.

HE THEN HELD THE POST ON A TEMPORARY BASIS FOR 14 MONTHS UNTIL MR. JOHNSTON ARRIVED. THIS HONG KONG EXPERIENCE IS, AS THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR. ROY DOWNING, PUT IT, A GREAT ASSET NOT ONLY TO HIS WORK, BUT ALSO FOR THE FUTURE OVERALL WELL-BEING OF THE AIRPORT.

WELL KNOWN FOR HIS PROFESSIONALISM AND EXPERTISE IN AVIATION WORK, MR. SMITH FIRST JOINED THE DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AVIATION, AUSTRALIA, IN 1950 AND HAD SINCE HELD VARIOUS RESPONSIBLE POSTS, INCLUDING TEN YEARS AS AIRPORT MANAGER AT ESSENDON AIRPORT, AND AIRPORT DIRECTOR OF MELBOURNE AIRPORT.

HONOURS BESTOWED ON HIM INCLUDE A DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND A MENTION IN DESPATCHES DURING THE WAR.

THE OUTGOING MANAGER, MR. JOHNSTON, 55, IS AN AVIATION ADMINISTRATOR WITH WORLD-WIDE EXPERIENCE. HE HELD THE SAME TITLE IN EDINBURGH AIRPORT IN SCOTLAND SINCE 1971.

AFTER AN OUTSTANDING CAREER WITH BOMBER COMMAND DURING THE WAR, HE WAS AWARDED THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE ORDER, THE DISTINGUISHED FLYING CROSS AND A MENTION IN DESPATCHES.

HE LATER GAINED EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN A NUMBER OF CIVIL AVIATION POSTS, WHICH PROVED TO BE OF CONSIDERABLE VALUE DURING HIS HONG KONG SERVICE.

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