ENG-1980 — Page 240

COMMUNICATIONS AND TRANSPORT

173

During 1980, several airlines suspended their services to Hong Kong. In January, Con- tinental Airlines dropped its all-cargo services between South America and Hong Kong; in August, Cathay Pacific Airways and the Civil Aviation Administration of China services were suspended; and Braniff International also suspended its services between Hong Kong and the United States in October.

British Airways' monopoly of the Hong Kong-London route came to an end when Cathay Pacific Airways and British Caledonian Airways started scheduled services on the route in July and August, respectively.

Hong Kong International Airport remains one of the busiest airports in Southeast Asia and currently handles an average of 18,000 passengers a day. During 1980, the airport was further extended and improved under a four-stage, long-term development programme costing $600 million. By the end of the year, nearly all major expansion projects under this programme had been completed and the remaining work was expected to be finished before the end of 1981.

New extensions to the arrivals and departures levels of the passenger terminal were opened in January, 1980 - effectively enlarging the public greeting area and the departures hall and a new departure check-in island comprising 36 counters for airlines, a group baggage conveying system and a third baggage reclaim loop, were progressively brought into use. Closely following these improvements was the completion of two new nose-in parking piers for wide-bodied aircraft (built alongside the six existing inner bays) and an associated bus dock for transfer vehicles to take passengers between the aircraft parked at outer bays and the passenger terminal.

Redevelopment of the older half of the passenger terminal was carried on throughout the year and work on the installation of a fourth baggage-reclaim loop and another depar- ture check-in island was progressing smoothly at the end of the year.

A new air traffic control centre equipped with advanced electronic equipment was opened in June, 1980, to replace the old centre built in 1962. Providing improved radar displays and radio and inter-communication facilities, the new centre handles various types of air traffic control functions for in-coming and out-going flights - including approach and departure control, area control, flight information and alerting services.

In May, 1980, the government decided to go ahead with further studies on the possible building of a replacement airport at Chek Lap Kok off northern Lantau, after endorsing the findings and recommendations of consultants engaged in March, 1979, to develop a pilot plan and cost estimates for such a 'project.

Selection of consultants to undertake the airport master plan study and the civil engineer- ing design studies was initiated and it was planned to start these studies in March, 1981.

Postal Services

The highlight of the year in the Post Office was the opening in September of the International Mail Centre at Hung Hom. Built at a cost of $53.5 million, the new centre handles Hong Kong's exchange of international mail with more than 200 postal administrations, as well as sorting all mail from Kowloon and the New Territories.

With the opening of three more post offices during the year, there are now 78 post offices operating in Hong Kong, including two mobile post offices. The metric (SI) system of units was adopted for all postal services on August 5, 1980, but no significant changes were made to postage rates as a result.

In most areas of Hong Kong, there are two deliveries of mail each weekday and, despite the continuous increase in the volume of letters and parcels handled, the Post Office can

Page 240Page 241