XN000022-1982-07-16 — Page 7

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FRIDAY, JULY 16, 1982

PROPOSED SITES FOR HELICOPTER LANDING FACILITIES

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THREE SITES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED BY THE GOVERNMENT FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT OF LANDING FACILITIES FOR HELICOPTERS.

SUBJECT TO FINAL INVESTIGATIONS, THE ROOF OF HUNG HOM CAR PARK COULD BE DEVELOPED AS A HELIPORT FOR INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AND THE WAN CHAI RECLAMATION COULD BE USED AS THE SITE FOR A HELIPAD FOR DOMESTIC SERVICES.

THE DISTRICT BOARDS OF KOWLOON CITY AND WAN CHAI WILL BE CONSULTED AT THEIR NEXT MEETINGS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS OF HELICOPTER SERVICES OPERATING FROM THESE SITES.

A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMPANIES HAD APPROACHED THE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE LACK OF CIVIL HELICOPTER FACILITIES FOR BOTH DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS.

+THERE IS EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SCHEDULED SERVICES TO MACAU AND AN INDICATION OF POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES TO CHINA, HE SAID.

FOLLOWING STUDIES OF VARIOUS POTENTIAL SITES IT APPEARS THAT THE ROOF OF HUNG HOM CAR PARK MAY BE SUITABLE FOR A HELIPORT FROM OPERATIONAL, SAFETY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND COMMERCIAL POINTS OF VIEW.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THAT MACAU HELICOPTER AIRWAYS LIMITED,

A COMPANY REGISTERED IN MACAU, PROPOSED TO DEVELOP THE CAR PARK ROOF AS A HELIPORT AT THEIR OWN EXPENSE FOR SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND MACAU.

THE COMPANY HAS NOW BEEN REQUESTED TO SUBMIT TO THE GOVERNMENT A COMPREHENSIVE PROPOSAL DETAILING THEIR PROPOSED STRUCTURAL ALTERATIONS TO THE CAR PARK, TO INCLUDE FIRE PROTECTION AND OTHER SAFETY SYSTEMS, AND OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES FOR STUDY BY VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.

+AS THE FACILITY WOULD BE OPERATED AS A LICENSED HELIPORT IT WOULD BE OPEN TO OTHER POTENTIAL USERS AT A FEE TO BE DETERMINED BY THE GOVERNMENT, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

COMMENTING ON THE POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OF NON-SCHEDULED DOMESTIC HELICOPTER SERVICES, THE SPOKESMAN SAID A CENTRALLY LOCATED HELIPAD WAS AN ESSENTIAL PREREQUISITE FOR SERVICES SETWEEN THE URBAN AREA AND THE NEW TERRITORIES, FOR PURPOSES SUCH AS THE TRANSPORT OF COMPANY PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT TO WORK SITES, NEWS REPORTING BY THE PRESS AND BROADCAST MEDIA AND FOR AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY FOR SURVEYS, FILM-MAKING AND OTHER SIMILAR PURPOSES.

HE ADDED THAT A CENTRALLY LOCATED PELIPAD WAS ALSO NEEDED BY THE SECURITY FORCES TO REPLACE THE HARCOURT ROAD HELIPAD WHICH WAS CLOSED IN 1979.

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