XN000022-1978-12-30 — Page 2

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SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1978

NUMBER OF ARRIVING-DEPARTING PASSENGERS TOPPED

5 MILLION MARK AT HK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN FISCAL 1977

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THE NUMBER OF ARRIVING AND DEPARTING PASSENGERS AT THE HONG KONG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TOPPED THE FIVE MILLION MARK FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FISCAL 1977.

DURING THE YEAR, 5,043,416 PASSENGERS PASSED THROUGH THE AIRPORT, REPRESENTING AN INCREASE OF 10.65 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

COMMENTING ON THE INCREASE, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SAID, THIS ORDER OF GROWTH IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AND, BY 1980 OVER SIX MILLION PASSENGERS WILL USE THE AIRPORT.+

HE POINTED OUT THAT MORE THAN 4,500 PASSENGERS PER HOUR WERE HANDLED DURING PEAK PERIODS AND THE STANDARD BUSY RATE OF 3,974 SHOWED AN INCREASE OF 11.3 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

*THE PHASED OPENING OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING EXTENSION DURING THE YEAR RESULTED IN A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE TERMINAL BUILDING PROCESSING CAPABILITY, RELIEVING THE PREVIOUSLY STRAINED CONDITIONS, HE SAID.

THE GROWTH IN PASSENGER TRAFFIC WAS COUPLED BY STEADY

PROGRESS IN AIRCRAFT, CARGO AND MAIL TRAFFIC.

FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS, CIVIL INTERNATIONAL AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS SHOWED A SLIGHT INCREASE. A TOTAL OF 50,431 MOVEMENTS, AN INCREASE OF 0.56 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR, WAS RECORDED.

THE CARGO THROUGHPUT TOTALLED 193,147 TONNES, REGISTERING AN INCREASE OF 11.2 PER CENT OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR WHILE CIVIL AIR MAIL CARRIED INTO AND OUT OF HONG KONG ROSE BY 15.7 PER CENT TO REACH 6,411 TONNES.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT HEALTHY GROWTH OF THE AIR CARGO INDUSTRY WAS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE AS INDICATIONS SHOWED INCREASING DEMAND FOR QUICK DELIVERY OF MANUFACTURED PRODUCTS.

VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS IN TERMINAL, APRON AND NAVIGATION FACILITIES WERE MADE AT THE AIRPORT DURING THE YEAR. WORKS CARRIED OUT INCLUDED EXTENSION TO THE PASSENGER TERMINAL BUILDING, THE INTRODUCTION OF A RESTRICTED+ BUFFER HALL AND THE INSTALLATION OF A NEW ROUTE SURVEILLANCE RADAR ON MOUNT PARKER.

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