XN000022-1981-12-12 — Page 3

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1981

IN 1976, THE NEW AIR CARGO COMPLEX WAS COMPLETED. IT IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST SINGLE BUILDING IN THE WORLD DEVOTED TO AIR CARGO, AND ALLOWS THE INTEGRATION OF ALL AIR CARGO HANDLING UNDER ONE ROOF.

THE EXTENDED PASSENGER TERMINAL WAS COMPLETED IN THE SECOND HALF OF 1976 AND WAS COMMISSIONED IN PHASES IN 1977.

BOTH THE DEPARTURES AND ARRIVALS LEVELS WERE DOUBLED IN SIZE AND OFFICE ACCOMODATION FOR AIRLINES ON THE UPPER FLOOR INCREASED = OVER ONE-HALF.

A LARGE PASSENGER BUFFER HALL WAS COMMISSIONED IN EARLY 1978 TO FACILITATE THE ARRIVAL OF PASSENGERS, WITH SERVICE COUNTERS FOR THE HONG KONG TOURIST ASSOCIATION, THE HOTELS ASSOCIATION, THE TRAVEL AGENTS ASSOCIATION, THE AIRPORT HIRE CAR SERVICE AS WELL AS MONEY CHANGING AND OTHER SERVICES.

THE OBSERVATION GALLERY FOR AIRPORT VISITORS AND WELL WISHERS MEETING OR SAYING FAREWELL TO THEIR FRIENDS WAS RENOVATED AND EXTENDED, AND A PROTECTIVE SHELTER WAS ADDED IN SEPTEMBER 1980.

DURING THE YEARS, A TOTAL OF EIGHT AIRCRAFT PARKING BAYS ADJACENT TO THE PASSENGER TERMINAL HAVE BEEN PROVIDED WITH AEROBRIDGES TO LINK PARKED AIRCRAFT TO THE PASSENGER TERMINAL. A NUMBER OF TRANSFER VEHICLE DOCKS HAVE BEEN BUILT TO FACILITATE BOARDING AND DISEMBARKING OF PASSENGERS BY BUS TO AIRCRAFT PARKED AWAY FROM THE TERMINAL.

A NEW AIRPORT FIRE STATION AND A CARGO OFFICE BLOCK WER ALSO BUILT DURING THIS PERIOD.

THE OLDER HALF OF THE TERMINAL BUILDING, WHICH AFTER ITS MANY YEARS OF USEFUL LIFE COULD IN NO WAY MATCH THE NEW EXTENSION IN APPEARANCE OR IN FACILITIES, WAS GIVEN A FACE-LIFT AND COMPLETELY RENOVATED.

IN EARLY 1977 A NEW COMPUTERISED FLAPBOARD DISPLAY SYSTEM WAS INSTALLED, SHOWING THE FLIGHT STATUS OF BOTH DEPARTING AND ARRIVING AIRCRAFT.

A NEW SEMI-AUTOMATED DEPARTURES BAGGAGE SYSTEM WAS COMMISSIONED IN MID-1977 COINCIDING WITH THE OPENING OF TWO NEW CHECK-IN ISLANDS IN THE EXTENDED TERMINAL BUILDING.

THE OLD CHECK-IN DESKS IN THE ORIGINAL DEPARTURES HALL WERE LATER DISMANTLED AND TWO MORE NEW ISLANDS INSTALLED, THE LAST OF WHICH WAS COMMISSIONED IN SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR.

A NEW CUSTOMS HALL WITH INCREASED BAGGAGE INSPECTION CHECK-POINTS AND TWO NEW BAGGAGE RECLAIM LOOPS WERE BROUGHT INTO USE IN JANUARY 1978. EACH LOOP CAN HANDLE THE BAGGAGE

OF PASSENGERS OF FOUR JUMBO JETS IN AN HOUR.

TWO MORE SIMILAR BAGGAGE RECLAIM LOOPS WERE INSTALLED IN THE OLDER HALF OF THE TERMINAL AND PROGRESSIVELY BROUGHT INTO USE AS RENOVATION OF THE OLD TERMINAL PROGRESSED.

/IN ORDER