ENG-1991 — Page 294

TRANSPORT

During the year, a number of schemes were launched to improve road access to the airport. These include road widening, realignment, additional slip-roads for discharging traffic into trunk roads, the introduction of new ramps to the multi-storey carpark, the provision of roundabouts at road junctions, traffic rearrangement and elimination of traffic-light junctions. These schemes will be completed in stages during 1992 and 1993. Modification work has started to provide longer kerbs for taxi and bus loading at the Transport Terminus to the west of the passenger terminal.

Improvements to air traffic control facilities also form a major part of the Kai Tak improvement programme. These include enhancement of the existing radar system, new navigational aids and air traffic control equipment, both on and off-airport. Work on Phase I, which covers the replacement of the precision approach radar and the instrument guidance system, has started and will be completed around mid-1992. A new computerised satellite-aided search and rescue system for detecting and locating transmissions from emergency radio beacons was commissioned during the year.

The capability of rescue and fire fighting at the airport received another boost during the year. The two vehicles for rapid-intervention were replaced by new vehicles with larger foam and water capacity and a much higher foam discharge rate. The two motorised inflatable rescue boats were also replaced. A new vehicle for fire fighting with a jackless hydraulic rescue platform was commissioned. It allows operation of the hydraulic platform while the vehicle is in motion, thus greatly enhancing response time to fire and rescue situations.

As air freight continues to grow at a high rate, the capacity of Terminal One of the Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) has reached its saturation point. However, the timely commissioning of HACTL Terminal Two in November 1991 has doubled the handling capacity to 1.4 million tonnes a year. This will allow ample room for sustained growth of air cargo in the coming years until the airport at Chek Lap Kok comes

on stream.

Hong Kong is home to three airlines. During the year, Cathay Pacific Airways (CPA), the largest of the three, commenced scheduled services to Johannesburg, Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. To cope with the increasing scale of its operations, CPA acquired five B747-400s. At the end of 1991, its fleet comprised 18 L1011s, eight B747-200s, six B747-300s, 10 B747-400s and three B747-200 freighters, making a total of 45 aircraft.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines (Dragonair) continues to operate scheduled services to six cities in China and four other cities in Asia with its five B737s and one L1011. The airline suspended its scheduled service to Utapao in Thailand in January and commenced a scheduled service to Tianjin in China in April. It also operates a number of non-scheduled passenger services to other cities in Asia, mostly in Japan and China.

Air Hong Kong (AHK), which provides all-cargo services, commenced scheduled flights to Nagoya, Brussels and Ho Chi Minh City to add to its scheduled services to Manchester. Non-scheduled cargo services continued between Hong Kong and a number of destinations in Asia, including Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok and Kathmandu. To cope with the increasing scale of its operations, AHK supplemented its two B707F aircraft by two leased B747F aircraft during 1991.

The year saw the introduction of scheduled air services to Hong Kong by Delta Airlines, Myanma Airways, Emirates Airlines and Continental Airlines and the suspension by Rosenbalm Aviation. The number of scheduled airlines serving Hong Kong increased to 46.

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