ENG-1995 — Page 298

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TRANSPORT

An additional fire appliance with a hydraulic platform for improving the fire- fighting and rescue capabilities at Kai Tak was put into operational use in May. Replacement of the existing four fire-fighting vehicles, with more than 10 years' service, is under way.

An additional aviation fuel tank and a new fuel pipeline were installed in October, improving the on-airport aviation fuel storage and replenishment capacity by 30 per cent. The airport will now be able to provide fuel for 3.5 days without replenishment if tropical cyclone alerts preclude the barging of fuel. Previously only about 2.5 days of fuel were available under such circumstances.

Air Services

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Hong Kong is home to three international airlines. Cathay Pacific Airways (CPA), the largest of the three, started scheduled passenger services to Stockholm in March and to Surabaya in June. To upgrade its fleet, CPA has acquired two B747-400s, one of which is a freighter, seven A330-300s and two A340-200s to replace nine of its L1011s. At the end of 1995, its fleet comprised eight L1011s, seven B747-200s, six B747-300s, 19 B747-400s, seven A330-300s, four A340-200s, four B747-200Fs and two B747-400Fs a total of 57 aircraft.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines (Dragonair) continued to operate scheduled services to seven cities in China and seven other destinations in Asia, together with non- scheduled passenger services to other cities in the region, mostly in China and Japan. Dragonair also continued to participate in the joint services between Bandar Seri Begawan and Hong Kong operated by Royal Brunei Airlines. The airline has added three A330-200 aircraft to its existing seven A320-200s and now operates a fleet of 10. Air Hong Kong continued to operate scheduled all-cargo services to Manchester, Brussels, Dubai and Nagoya, and non-scheduled cargo services to other destinations in Asia, using two B747F aircraft.

With the introduction of scheduled services to Hong Kong by Southern Air Transport and Air Canada in July and December respectively, the number of scheduled airlines serving Hong Kong increased to 60. At the end of the year, these airlines together operated about 1370 direct round-trip services weekly between Hong Kong and some 100 cities. In addition to the scheduled services, an average of 230 non-scheduled flights were operated each week.

Under specific authorisation from the British Government, the Hong Kong Government continues to negotiate air services agreement (ASAs) and hold regular air services consultations with foreign aviation partners, to review and update current bilateral arrangements to cope with changing market circumstances. In 1995, 34 rounds of air services negotiations were held with 17 countries. An agreement was signed with Germany, bringing Hong Kong's bilateral ASAS to 11. In addition, negotiations were concluded and stand-alone ASAS initialled with the USA and Japan at the end of 1995.

In 1995, the Air Transport Licensing Authority granted four licences to Hong Kong airlines: one to CPA and three to Dragonair. At the end of the year, CPA held licences to operated scheduled services to 74 cities, Dragonair to 78 and AHK to 37.