XN000022-1989-01-05 — Page 2

THURSDAY, JANUARY 5, 1989

MACAU AIRPORT WILL BENEFIT REGION: GOVERNOR

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW AIRPORT IN MACAU WOULD BE AN ADVANTAGE FOR HONG KONG IN RELIEVING CONGESTION AND WOULD BENEFIT THE REGION AS A WHOLE, THE GOVERNOR, SIR DAVID WILSON, SAID TODAY (THURSDAY).

SPEAKING TO REPORTERS ON HIS RETURN FROM MACAU, THE GOVERNOR SAID ALTHOUGH HE EXPECTED THERE WOULD BE SOME REDUCTION OF AIR PASSENGERS TO HONG KONG AS A RESULT, IT WOULD NOT HAVE ANY ADVERSE EFFECT BECAUSE HONG KONG'S GROWTH RATE WAS SO GREAT.

"INDEED, THERE ARE SOME ADVANTAGES TO HONG KONG BECAUSE IT WILL RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON US. THERE'S GOING ΤΟ BE NO SHORTAGE OF PASSENGERS COMING TO HONG KONG, SIR DAVID SAID.

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HE SAID THE MACAU AUTHORITIES HOPED TO FORM A CONSORTIUM AND START WORK THIS YEAR ON THE SINGLE RUNWAY AIRPORT WHICH WOULD TAKE MODERN AIRCRAFT,

"THEY HOPE TO COMPLETE IT BY 1993. THEY HAVE AN ESTIMATE OF THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS THAT ARE GOING TO COME INTO THIS AREA

THE PEARL RIVER DELTA, WHICH SHOWS THAT THERE IS A NEED FOR AN AIRPORT, NOT JUST TO SERVE MACAU BUT THAT PART OF SOUTHERN CHINA AS WELL.

"AND GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC THAT IS COMING TO HONG KONG AND THIS REGION NOW, I THINK AN AIRPORT IN MACAU AS WELL WOULD ACTUALLY BENEFIT THE WHOLE REGION, SIR DAVID SAID.

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SIR DAVID SAID HIS VISIT TO THE PORTUGUESE ENCLAVE GAVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK WITH THE MACAU GOVERNOR ON MATTERS WHICH WERE OF CONCERN TO THE TWO TERRITORIES.

SIR DAVID SAID HE VISITED THE SITE WHERE THE NEW AIRPORT WOULD BE BUILT AND WAS GIVEN A DETAILED BRIEFING ON THE PROJECT.

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SORT LAST

"I ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO GO AND VISIT MACAU AND SEE WHAT OF DEVELOPMENTS HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS SINCE PAID A PRIVATE VISIT THERE IN 1981," THE GOVERNOR ADDED.

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