XN000022-1993-10-28 — Page 5

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1993

SUSPENSION OF "OPPOSITE RUNWAY" MODE OF OPERATION AT KAI TAK

THE

DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION, MR PETER LOK KUNG-NAM, ANNOUNCED TODAY (THURSDAY} THAT THE "OPPOSITE RUNWAY" MODE OF OPERATION AT KAI TAK AIRPORT WILL BE SUSPENDED FROM TOMORROW ON FLIGHT SAFETY GROUNDS.

(FRIDAY)

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THE DECISION FOLLOWS AN INDEPENDENT SAFETY AUDIT OF ΚΑΙ TAK'S TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM WHICH CONCLUDED THAT THE "OPPOSITE RUNWAY MODE NOW POSED "A DEFINITE HAZARD TO FLIGHT SAFETY" AND RECOMMENDED THAT IT BE WITHDRAWN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

UNDER THIS MODE, WHICH IS OPERATED BETWEEN 9 PM AND MIDNIGHT AND 6.30 AM AND 7 AM EACH DAY, PLANES LAND AT AND TAKE OFF FROM ΚΑΙ TAK VIA THE LEI YUE MUN GAP IN ORDER TO REDUCE NOISE TO NORTH KOWLOON RESIDENTS UNLESS WIND OR WEATHER CONDITIONS DO NOT SO PERMIT.

AIRCRAFT ARE ARRANGED TO TAKE OFF AND LAND IN ALTERNATE BATCHES, WITH THE LAST AIRCRAFT IN THE DEPARTING BATCH PASSING BELOW THE FIRST AIRCRAFT OF THE INCOMING BATCH AT A SEPARATION OF 2,000 FEET IN ALTITUDE. THE INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION ORGANISATION'S MINIMUM REQUIREMENT IN TERMS OF SEPARATION OF AIRCRAFT IS 1,000 FEET.

THE AUDIT OF THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES, CARRIED OUT BY THE UK CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL INSPECTORATE, WAS COMMISSIONED BY THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION FOLLOWING THREE INCIDENTS INVOLVING A LOSS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN AIRCRAFT IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THIS COMPARES WITH AN AVERAGE OF NIL TO TWO SIMILAR INCIDENTS IN THE PREVIOUS 15 YEARS.

REDUCTION IN THE

"ALTHOUGH THESE INCIDENTS ONLY INVOLVED A SAFETY BUFFER AREA BETWEEN AIRCRAFT, AND NONE OF ENOUGH TO CAUSE ANY REAL DANGER, THE AUDIT WAS IDENTIFY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WHAT THE PROBLEMS REMEDIAL MEASURES COULD BE IMPLEMENTED," A SPOKESMAN AVIATION DEPARTMENT SAID.

-

THEM WAS CLOSE COMMISSIONED TO WERE AND WHAT FOR THE CIVIL

THREE INCIDENTS

I.E.

OUTSIDE THE PERIOD THE SUSPENSION OF THIS

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT ALTHOUGH THE WHICH OCCURRED IN THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR HAD ALL TAKEN PLACE WHEN THE RUNWAY WAS BEING OPERATED NORMALLY OF THE "OPPOSITE RUNWAY" MODE OF OPERATION MODE OF OPERATION WAS NECESSARY AS IT WAS A COMPLEX PROCEDURE WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE EXERT ADDITIONAL PRESSURE ON THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM.

ALTHOUGH THE FINAL REPORT IS STILL UNDER PREPARATION, THE INSPECTORS HAVE PROVIDED, IN ADVANCE, THE KEY FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. THEY HAVE COMMENTED FAVOURABLY ON THE COMPETENCE TECHNICAL EXPERTISE OF OUR AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS BUT NOTED THAT SYSTEM 15 UNDER INCREASING PRESSURE.

FACTORS WHICH THE INSPECTORS THOUGHT MIGHT BE CONTRIBUTING THE INCREASED INCIDENTS INCLUDE:

*

AND

THE

то

PER ANNUM

AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AT KAI TAK AIRPORT FROM 54,300 TO 131,000 IN THE LAST 10 YEARS;

/*A LARGE