XN000022-1981-02-06 — Page 2

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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1981

AIRPORT STUDIES FOR CHEK LAP KOK

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THE GOVERNMENT HAS ENGAGED CONSULTANTS TO CARRY OUT AN AIRPORT MASTER PLANNING STUDY AS PART OF A SERIES OF STUDIES CONNECTED WITH THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT PROJECT AT CHEK LAP KOK, OFF LANTAU.

AN AGREEMENT HAS BEEN SIGNED WITH THE AMERICAN CONSULTANTS GROUP, R.M.P. INTERNATIONAL LTD., BY MR B.D. KEEP, DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, ACTING ON BEHALF OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND MR J.N. FEHRER, CONTRACTS MANAGER, FOR THE CONSULTANTS GROUP.

R.M.P. INTERNATIONAL LTD WILL CARRY OUT THE STUDY WITH THE UNITED KINGDOM CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY, THE G.M.W. PARTNERSHIP OF LONDON, AND FOUR HONG KONG-BASED ARCHITECTURAL, CIVIL ENGINEERING, TRANSPORT PLANNING AND DESIGN GROUPS (PRESCOTT STUTELY DESIGN GROUP, WILBUR SMITH AND ASSOCIATES, LEVETT AND BAILEY, AND MOTT HAY AND ANDERSON FAR EAST). EACH OF THE SUB-CONTRACTING GROUPS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR SPECIALIST ASPECTS OF THE STUDY.

THE CONSULTANTS ARE TO DEVELOP AN AIRPORT MASTER PLAN WHICH WILL DEFINE THE PHASED DEVELOPMENT OF THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT IN TERMS OF THE LOCATION OF RUNWAYS AND ALL AIRPORT FACILITIES.

THEY WILL ALSO LOOK INTO THE AIRCRAFT OPERATIONS ASPECTS, INCLUDING ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE PROCEDURES AND ASSOCIATED AIRCRAFT NOISE, BUILDING HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS IN THE VICINITY OF THE AIRPORT AND FINALLY UP-DATING THE ORDER OF COSTS FOR CONSTRUCTING THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT.

THE CONSULTANTS WILL START WORK NEXT MONTH (MARCH) AND COMPLETE THE IR STUDIES TOWARDS THE END OF 1982.

THE RESULTS OF THE AIRPORT MASTER PLANNING STUDY TOGETHER WITH THE FINDINGS OF OTHER STUDIES - INCLUDING CIVIL ENGINEERING, ENVIRONMENTAL, FINANCIAL, METEOROLOGICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC STUDIES AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO THE PROPOSED NORTH LANTAU DEVELOPMENT WILL BE PRESENTED TO GOVERNMENT AT THE END OF 1982.

+THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE CONSULTANTS IS ANOTHER STEP TAKEN TO ENABLE THE GOVERNMENT TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT TO BUILD A NEW AIRPORT TO REPLACE KAI TAK, A SPOKESMAN FOR THE CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).

*WITH THE PRESENT RATE OF GROWTH IN AIR TRAFFIC. KAI TAK IS EXPECTED TO REACH ITS CAPACITY IN THE MID-1980S AND THEREAFTER THE AIRPORT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE TRAFFIC DEMAND WITHOUT INTRODUCING CONSTRAINTS ON THE AIRLINES OPERATING TO AND FROM HONG KONG.

+CONSTRUCTION OF A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT IS ONE OF THE ALTERNATIVES TO BE EXAMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT IN ORDER TO MAXIMISE THE BENEFITS OF CIVIL AVIATION TO HONG KONG, THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

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