ENG-1961 — Page 295

COMMUNICATIONS

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Responsibility for the supervision of all aspects of civil aviation in the Colony and the co-ordination of plans for its development rests with the Director of Civil Aviation. Full operational services are provided, including Air Traffic Control, Telecommunications, Air-Sea Rescue, Airport Fire Service, Aeronautical Information Service, Aircraft Registration and Certification of Airworthiness, Personnel Licensing and, in conjunction with the Royal Observa- tory, an Aeronautical Meteorological Service.

Opportunities for private flying are somewhat restricted by the small size and geographical location of this Colony, and by the obvious difficulties involved in carrying out ab initio training at a busy international airport. Light aircraft are, however, available at the Far East Flying Training School which was established in 1934, and since then has done much to foster a spirit of air- mindedness in Hong Kong. The School also offers full-time courses of training in aeronautical engineering and electronics.

Comprehensive facilities for the maintenance, repair and over- haul of aircraft and engines are available at the Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company's modern depôt at the Airport.

Two locally based airlines operate aircraft registered in the Colony. The first, Cathay Pacific Airways, began in 1946 as the private enterprise of two wartime pilots, and developed in a typically energetic Hong Kong fashion. From one DC-3 when operations began, the company's fleet has now grown to one DC-4, one DC-6, one DC-6B and two Lockheed Electras, operating on a wide network of routes extending to India, Japan, the Philippines and Australia. A Convair 880 jet airliner has recently been ordered. The other local airline, Macau Air Transport Company Ltd, has recently commenced a service of four flights daily to nearby Macau, using a Piaggio P 136 amphibious aircraft.

Some 140 scheduled services operated by 19 international airlines arrive each week at Hong Kong Airport. There are, in addition, numerous charter and other non-scheduled flights. A feature of the year was the continued increase in the number of services operated by the most modern types of pure jet aircraft, which now account for more than half of the Airport's scheduled movements. New arrivals included the Boeing 720 and Convair 880, which joined the now familiar Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8 and Comet IV as regular visitors.