ENG-1985 — Page 246

TRANSPORT

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involved air services to and from Hong Kong and the territory was represented by officials from the Government Secretariat and the Civil Aviation Department. As a result of an agreement reached during the talks in London, additional services are to be provided between Hong Kong and Peking to meet the needs of the travelling public. The United Kingdom also concluded an agreement with France under which Cathay Pacific Airways will operate services to Paris.

In December, after a six-day public inquiry, the Air Transport Licensing Authority, an independent statutory body, granted Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited a licence to operate scheduled services to eight cities in China. However, the rights to operate these services were not immediately available.

The improvement of facilities at the Passenger Terminal Building at Hong Kong International Airport centred on the major extension programme known as the Stage V Development. This project is expected to be completed in 1988. One of the preliminary works associated with the development - a transport terminus was opened in July. It provides queueing space for taxis and airport coaches. Other works related to the development involved a major new electrical sub-station, changes to the arrival greeting area and a considerable amount of removals and demolition.

During the year, the Miramar Hotel ceased to be the concessionaire for the main airport restaurant after an association with Kai Tak spanning 26 years. The new concessionaire, Bowater Food Systems (Hong Kong) Limited took over from August 31.

The year saw the completion of an extension to the cargo apron so that it can now accommodate five B-747 aircraft. Planning is also nearing completion for a major project to provide paved shoulders along the full length of the runway to overcome severe erosion problems.

Another major installation is the airfield surface detection equipment which is designed to show continuously the positions and movements of aircraft and vehicles on the airfield, and also of ships in the vicinity of the runway promontory.

A new air traffic control simulator came into operation in February as part of a programme to replace existing training equipment.

Work on identifying a suitable site for an international heliport continued during the year while on the domestic front a number of potential sites to serve towns in the New Territories were identified. However, demand for helicopter services, whether international or domestic, has so far not developed to the extent previously anticipated. A noise study was undertaken on the effects that operations at the Fenwick Pier Street Helipad have on the adjacent Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. The future of the helipad will be considered in the light of the results of this study.