XN000022-1993-10-28 — Page 6

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1993

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A LARGE GROWTH IN AIR TRAFFIC INTO AND THROUGH CHINA WHICH REQUIRES MORE INTENSE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL COORDINATION;

A 130 PER CENT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF OVERFLIGHTS WITHIN HONG KONG'S FLIGHT INFORMATION REGION IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS WHICH COMPETE FOR AIRSPACE SLOTS AGAINST AIRCRAFT MOVEMENTS AT KAI TAK; AND

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DURING THE "OPPOSITE RUNWAY" MODE THE NEED TO ALTERNATE ARRIVING AND DEPARTING BATCHES MOVEMENTS, WHILE HAVING TO MATCH SLOT AVAILABILITY AND ΤΟ MAINTAIN, AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, THE

OF THE MIDNIGHT CLOSURE OF THE AIRPORT.

OF

PRECISELY AIRCRAFT

INTEGRITY

THE

"UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF INSPECTORS' OPINION, THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION CONSIDERED HE HAS NO OPTION BUT TO SUSPEND THE 'OPPOSITE RUNWAY' MODE OF OPERATION UNTIL A FULL EVALUATION OF THE CURRENT AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM AND PROCEDURES HAS BEEN COMPLETED, THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

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IN THE MEANTIME, THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION IS TAKING IMMEDIATE STEPS TO ENHANCE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL PROCEDURES AND IMPROVE MANNING LEVELS WHERE NECESSARY.

"ADDITIONAL MEASURES WILL BE IMPLEMENTED FOLLOWING MORE DETAILED RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE INSPECTORS,' THE SPOKESMAN ADDED.

AT PRESENT THERE ARE SOME 250,000 RESIDENTS LIVING UNDER THE FLIGHT PATH IN NORTH KOWLOON, WHO MAY BE AFFECTED BY INCREASED NOISE NUISANCE FROM AIRCRAFT FOLLOWING THE SUSPENSION OF THE "OPPOSITE RUNWAY" MODE.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THAT IN 1992, THERE WAS AN AVERAGE OF 44 LANDINGS PER WEEK OR SIX PER DAY COMING OVER NORTH KOWLOON AS A RESULT OF WIND OR WEATHER PROBLEMS AFTER 9 PM. STATISTICALLY THIS REPRESENTED ABOUT 40 PER CENT OF THE FLIGHTS.

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"THE SUSPENSION OF THE 'OPPOSITE RUNWAY MODE, WILL MEAN THAT SOME 113 LANDINGS PER WEEK OR 16 PER DAY WHICH PREVIOUSLY CAME IN OVER THE SEA THEOUGH LEI YUE MUN WILL BR DIVERTED TO THE 'NORMAL' APPROACH OVER NORTH KOWLOON.

"ON THE OTHER HAND, THE RE-ROUTING OF LANDINGS KOWLOON WILL LEAD TO A REDUCTION IN THE FREQUENCY DISTURBANCE TO RESIDENTS IN HONG KONG EAST AND KOWLOON EAST, NOISE LEVELS THERE ARE GENERALLY LOWER.

IN

VIA NORTH NOISE ALTHOUGH

MITIGATE,

"IN ORDER TO DETERMINE WHAT MEASURES CAN BE TAKEN TO AS FAR AS PRACTICABLE, THE ADVERSE IMPACT ON NORTH KOWLOON RESIDENTS, A TASK-FORCE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED CONSISTING OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ECONOMIC SERVICES BRANCH; PLANNING, ENVIRONMENT AND LANDS BRANCH: CIVIL AVIATION DEPARTMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, WITH A VIEW TO WORKING OUT EARLY RECOMMENDATIONS, HE SAID.

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THE SPOKESMAN STRESSED THAT THE LIMIT TO THE NUMBER OF FLIGHTS WHICH MAY BE PROGRAMMED BETWEEN 9 PM AND MIDNIGHT AND BETWEEN 6.30 AND 7 AM, I.E. 18 PER HOUR WILL NOT BE INCREASED IN THE PROCESS.

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