XN000022-1996-07-04 — Page 26

25.

Fees for aircraft noise certificates revised

A Government spokesman announced today (Thursday) that the fees payable in respect of application for the grant of aircraft noise certificates and the issue of duplicate aircraft noise certificates under the Civil Aviation (Aircraft Noise) Ordinance would be increased from

November 1.

The spokesman said: "An aircraft noise certificate is required under the Convention on International Civil Aviation to be carried on board the aircraft on international flights as evidence of compliance with international standards of noise emission.

"Under the Civil Aviation (Aircraft Noise) (Certification) Regulation, the owner or operator of an aircraft registered in Hong Kong may apply to the Director of Civil Aviation for the grant of an aircraft noise certificate in relation to that aircraft."

He said: "The existing fees for the air noise certificates were introduced in 1987 based on a very rough estimate of the time required in vetting technical documentation. A recent costing exercise shows that they are substantially below cost.

"As it is Government's policy that fees should in general be set at levels sufficient to recover the full cost of providing the services, we therefore propose to revise the fees based on the costing results.

"The new fees will have minimal impact on the operating cost of airlines as an aircraft noise certificate is issued only to owner or operator of an aircraft registered in Hong Kong and only once in the lifetime of an aircraft. The general public will not be affected," the spokesman added.

Details of the revised fees, to be published in the Gazette tomorrow (Friday) under the Civil Aviation (Aircraft Noise) (Certification) (Amendment) Regulation 1996, are as follows:

1.

Items

Grant of a noise certificate limited

to a combination or combinations of aircraft and engine types, where a noise certificate has previously been granted in respect of the identical combination or combinations

Existing Fee Level

Revised Fee

Level

$150

$1,105