TNAG-2254-FCO40-3238-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-gene-1991 — Page 24

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 18212.

(117

014715 MDHIAN 2461

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 060800Z FCO

TELNO 367

OF 040959Z FEBRUARY 91

1

ра

ሪis o

A

CORRECTED VERSION: ORIGINATORS AMENDMENTS TO PARA 4 AND 6.

108,

YRTELNO 219: MEMORANDUM FOR THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: REVISED TEXT

REFERENCE MIPT

INTRODUCTION

1. THIS MEMORANDUM SETS OUT THE BACKGROUND TO THE DECISION BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT TO CONSTRUCT A NEW AIRPORT AND RELATED INFRASTUCTURE. IT SUMMARISES THE HISTORY OF THE PLANNING OF THE PROJECT AND DESCRIBES THE PROGRESS ACHIEVED SO FAR AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAVE ALREADY TAKEN PLACE WITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ABOUT THE PROJECT. RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROJECT RESTS WITH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, ALTHOUGH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN KEPT INFORMED OF ALL SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS.

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT

2. IT HAS BEEN CLEAR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT IT WILL BE NECESSARY FOR HONG KONG TO CONSTRUCT A NEW AIRPORT TO REPLACE KAI TAK, THE CAPACITY AND DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF WHICH ARE LIMITED. ACCORDINGLY, AS EARLY AS 1973, A CONSULTANCY STUDY WAS CONDUCTED TO IDENTIFY A SUITABLE LOCATION FOR THE NEW AIRPORT. IN ALL, THIRTY SITES WERE CONSIDERED, COVERING EVERY CORNER OF THE TERRITORY. THE STUDY CONCLUDED THAT THE MOST APPROPRIATE SITE WOULD BE CHEP LAP KOK. THE SUITABILITY OF CHEK LAP KOK WAS CONFIRMED BY A FEASIBILITY STUDY CARRIED OUT IN 1979-80, FOLLOWED BY A MASTERPLAN STUDY IN 1982. PLANS TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION WERE WELL ADVANCED. BUT IN 1983, THE PROJECT WAS SHELVED BECAUSE OF ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTIES ARISING FROM THE WORLD RECESSION OF THAT TIME, DURING WHICH CIVIL AVIATION TRAFFIC CONTRACTED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, AND POLITICAL UNCERTAINTIES RESULTING FROM THE NEGOTIATIONS ON THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG.

3. WITHIN A FEW YEARS, HOWEVER, AIR TRANSPORT BEGAN TO EXPAND ONCE AGAIN: BY 1986, THE VOLUME OF PASSENGERS AT KAI TAK WAS GROWING VERY RAPIDLY (BY 19 PERCENT IN 1987, AND BY 20 PERCENT IN

PAGE

1

CONFIDENTIAL