ENG-1984 — Page 270

TRANSPORT

211

of the year, 32 airlines were operating 1 000 scheduled services a week to and from Hong Kong, linking it directly to 68 major world cities, with non-stop services to 40 of these. The air services network covered the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Canada, China, South Africa, India, the Middle East, Australasia and Asia. Nine other airlines operated an average of 22 non-scheduled services in and out of Hong Kong each week.

There was an increase of five per cent in international aircraft movements, bringing the total to 57 000. About 80 per cent of the aircraft calling at Hong Kong International Airport were of the wide-bodied type.

At the beginning of the year, British Airways, which was operating a once-weekly service on the London/Peking route with only own-passenger stopover rights between Hong Kong and Peking, secured approval to exercise normal traffic rights on this sector. In April, Cathay Pacific Airways opened a new route between Hong Kong and Frankfurt, via Dhahran, operating at a frequency of three flights per week. Gulf Air resumed its scheduled services in June with its route changed to Hong Kong/Dhaka/Bahrain/Abu Dhabi, and in July, Continental Airlines started a thrice-weekly scheduled service between Guam and Hong Kong, via Taipei.

The programme of improving and upgrading the facilities at Hong Kong International Airport continued throughout the year.

A new computer-based automatic message switching system for increasing the efficiency of telecommunication services related to aircraft movements was commissioned in March. The system forms part of the world-wide Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network. Work on a further extension of the Passenger Terminal Building began towards the end of the year. The project consists mainly of an eastward extension of the terminal building at both the arrival and departure levels. Additional facilities such as check-in desks, a departure baggage handling system, 'commercially important passenger' rooms, cafeteria and baggage reclaim loops will be installed. These, when combined with the existing facilities, will provide a passenger handling capacity of 18 million per year, or 5 300 inbound or outbound passengers per hour. The development, costing around $270 million, is scheduled to be completed in mid-1987. Other facilities, as well as surface access roads, will be improved significantly as part of this project.

The open-air carpark at the western end of Passenger Terminal Building is being converted into a transport terminus. This terminus, which will be ready in mid-1985, will provide a covered loading area for taxis, hire cars, buses and public light buses.

A major extension programme of the cargo apron and taxiway facilities began and this project will complement the recently completed extension of the air cargo complex.

The proposal to construct an international heliport on a site adjacent to the Wan Chai Ferry Pier was abandoned as the prospective developer, British Airways Helicopters, decided not to proceed with its plan to operate a scheduled passenger service between Hong Kong and Macau. Other work carried out in connection with helicopter operations included studies to identify an alternative site for a heliport to serve Hong Kong, and sites for a network of domestic helipads for the new towns in the New Territories.

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