ENG-2014 — Page 281

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Transport

Future development

To cope with the air traffic demand in the long run, the government gave in-principle approval in 2012 for the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) to adopt the three-runway system (3RS) for the purposes of planning the future development of the airport. The AAHK successfully completed the statutory Environmental Assessment process with the Director of Environmental Protection's issuing of an environmental permit for the project on 7 November 2014. The AAHK has also completed the remaining planning work, including the associated design details and the financial arrangements study for the project. According to the current plan, the AAHK targets to commission the project in 2023.

With 3RS in place, the HKIA's handling capacity will be increased from 420,000 air traffic movements per year to 620,000 per year. The added capacity at HKIA will be able to cope with Hong Kong's long term air traffic demand. The AAHK estimated that HKIA will handle over 100 million passengers and 8.9 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030.

Recognition

HKIA has been named the 'world's best airport' over 55 times since it opened in 1998. HKIA was honoured as the World's Best Airport in Smart Travel Asia's 2014 Best in Travel Poll. It was also named 'Best Airport in China' by travel magazine Business Traveller China, and 'Asia Pacific Airport of the Year - Industry Choice Award' by the industry publication Payload Asia.

Air Services

Under authorisation of the Central People's Government, the HKSAR Government negotiates and concludes bilateral air services agreements with aviation partners to provide the legal framework for scheduled air services between Hong Kong and other places. At present, there are 63 such agreements. The government also reviews the traffic rights arrangements with its aviation partners to expand Hong Kong's aviation network and to allow more competition in the market. In 2014, the government expanded traffic rights arrangements with 10 aviation partners and signed an air services agreement with Madagascar. In 2014, the Air Transport Licensing Authority granted a variation to Hong Kong Airlines (CRK)'s licence for the addition of new routes.

In 2014, Cathay Pacific Airways operated scheduled services to 73 destinations worldwide, while Hong Kong Dragon Airlines operated scheduled services to 43 destinations in Asia (including 20 cities in the Mainland). Air Hong Kong operated scheduled all-cargo services to 12 destinations in Asia. CRK operated scheduled services to 37 destinations, including various countries in Asia and all-cargo services to Turkey. Hong Kong Express Airways, the only local low-cost carrier, operated scheduled services to 16 destinations in Asia. The fleet of all the local airlines totalled 231 aircraft during the year.

Three non-Hong Kong airlines commenced scheduled passenger services to Hong Kong in 2014: American Airlines started services from Dallas in June; Siam Air Transport started services from Bangkok in October; and Vanilla Air started services from Tokyo in November.

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