XN000022-1988-01-28 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 1988

SIR DAVID WAS BRIEFED ON A $270-MILLION EXTENSION PROJECT NOW UNDERWAY TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SPACIOUS CHECK-IN, IMMIGRATION AND BAGGAGE HANDLING FACILITIES AT THE PASSENGER TERMINAL.

"IT IS ESSENTIAL FOR HONG KONG AS A MAJOR TRADING TERRITORY AND A MAJOR TOURIST CENTRE TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD AIRPORT THAT CAN HANDLE THE EVER-INCREASING NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WISH TO USE IT," HE SAID.

WHEN COMPLETED LATER THIS YEAR, THE EXTENSION WILL EXPAND THE THROUGHPUT OF THE TERMINAL FROM 3,400 PASSENGERS PER HOUR TO 5,400.

THE GOVERNOR LEARNED THAT COMPUTERISATION OF IMMIGRATION CLEARANCE WILL BE INTRODUCED IN THE SECOND HALF OF THIS YEAR.

THIS WILL SPRED UP THE PROCESSING OF HONG KONG RESIDENTS, ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 30 PER CENT OF AIRPORT PASSENGER TRAFFIC.

AIR

THE GOVERNOR THEN TOURED THE AIR TRAFFIC AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL TOWER, WHERE HE SAW HOW KONG AIRSPACE ARE DIRECTED AND CONTROLLED.

WHO

CONTROL CENTRE AND MOVEMENTS IN HONG

HONG KONG, BEING AT THE HUB OF AIR TRAFFIC IN THE REGION, HANDLED 73,000 MOVEMENTS IN 1987, COMPARED TO 64,800 THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SIR DAVID ENDED HIS VISIT BY TOURING THE HONG KONG AIR CARGO TERMINAL, THE WORLD'S LARGEST SINGLE CONSOLIDATED CARGO TERMINAL.

THE CARGO TERMINAL HANDLED 600,000 TONNES OF FREIGHT LAST YEAR, MORE THAN ALL 16 TERMINALS AT HEATHROW AIRPORT, AND RANKED SIXTH IN THE WORLD IN TERMS OF CARGO VOLUME THROUGHPUT. A FIVE PER CENT GROWTH IS EXPECTED THIS YEAR.

THE GOVERNOR ALSO WATCHED OPERATIONS AT THE CARGO TERMINAL AND WAS BRIEFED ON PLANS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION.

14