XN000022-1980-06-01 — Page 2

SUNDAY, JUNE 1, 1980

NEW CENTRE FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL

*****

A NEW SOPHISTICATED AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTRE AT KAI TAK, HONG KONG'S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, WILL BE COMMISSIONED ON WEDNESDAY (JUNE 4) AFTER TWO MONTHS OPERATIONAL EVALUATION.

THE CENTRE IS EQUIPPED WITH ADVANCED AND MODERN ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT FOR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS TO DIRECT AIRCRAFT WITHIN HONG KONG'S FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION/AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY.

INSIDE THE NEW CENTRE ARE VARIOUS TYPES OF RADAR SCREENS AND RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS.

THEY INCLUDE TWO PRECISION APPROACH DISPLAYS FOR SHOWING SHORT-RANGE RADAR INFORMATION FROM THE PRECISION APPROACH RADAR, AND THREE VERTICAL DISPLAYS FOR THE APPROACH SURVEILLANCE RADAR.

THE PRECISION APPROACH RADAR COVERS A RANGE OF 16 KILOMETRES OF THE FINAL APPROACH WHILE THE APPROACH SURVEILLANCE RADAR COVERS SOME 60 NAUTICAL MILES.

THERE ARE THREE OTHER HORIZONTAL RADAR DISPLAYS FOR SCREENING DATA COLLECTED BY THE ROUTE SURVEILLANCE RADAR AND THE SECONDARY SURVEILLANCE RADAR WHICH COVER A RANGE OF OVER 250 NAUTICAL MILES.

A NETWORK OF CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION PROVIDES THE CONTROLLERS WITH WEATHER AND WINDSHEAR INFORMATION AS WELL AS AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CLEARANCE INFORMATION.

THERE ARE ALSO OVERHEAD STATIC DISPLAYS OF AIR ROUTES, APPROACH AND DEPARTURE PROCEDURES AND NAVIGATION AID INFORMATION.

+ THE NEW CENTRE IS SIMILAR IN FUNCTION TO THE EXISTING ONE EXCEPT THAT IT PROVIDES MORE CONTROL POSITIONS AND AN INCREASED NUMBER OF AIR-TO-GROUND RADIO COMMUNICATION CHANNELS AS WELL AS IMPROVED INTERNAL COMMUNICATION WITHIN THE CENTRE AND BETWEEN THE CENTRE AND THE CONTROL TOWER, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE AIR TRAFFIC SERVICES DIVISION SAID.

+ IT IS MORE ROOMY AND PROVIDES A BETTER WORKING ENVIRONMENT FOR THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL STAFF,+ HE ADDED.

THE CENTRE PROVIDES VARIOUS TYPES OF AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL FUNCTIONS FOR IN-COMING AND OUT-GOING FLIGHTS, INCLUDING APPROACH AND DEPARTURE CONTROL, AREA CONTROL, FLIGHT INFORMATION AND ALERTING SERVICES.

/2