ENG-2015 — Page 275

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Transport

environmental measures as committed in the approved Environmental Impact Assessment report and in compliance with the Environmental Permit conditions, with a view to achieving 'conservation alongside development. A high-level advisory committee, chaired by the Secretary for Transport and Housing, was also set up on 1 August 2015 to provide views and advice on major issues concerning the 3RS project, and to assist the government in monitoring the implementation of the 3RS project by the AAHK.

With 3RS in place, the airport's handling capacity will be increased from 420,000 air traffic movements per year to 620,000 per year. The added capacity at the airport will be able to cope with Hong Kong's long-term air traffic demand. The AAHK estimates the airport will handle. about 100 million passengers and 9 million tonnes of cargo annually by 2030.

Recognition

The airport has been named the 'world's best airport' more than 60 times since it opened in 1998. It won the 'Asian Diamond Award' in the one-million-tonnes-or-more category of the Air Cargo Excellence Awards 2015 organised by industry magazine Air Cargo World and earned the distinction as the 'Best Airport - Asia' at the 2015 Asian Freight, Logistics & Supply Chain Awards organised by Air Cargo News. The airport was also inducted into the Travel Hall of Fame at the TTG Travel Awards 2015 and recognised as the 'Asia Pacific Airport of the Year - Industry Choice Award' by air cargo industry publication Payload Asia.

Air Services

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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 64 such agreements. The government also reviews traffic rights arrangements with its aviation partners to expand Hong Kong's aviation network and to allow more competition in the market. In 2015, the government expanded traffic rights arrangements with 17 aviation partners. It also concluded negotiations and initialled new air services agreements with Spain, Malta and Serbia. The Air Transport Licensing Authority held a public inquiry to consider and eventually refused a licensing application by Jetstar Hong Kong Airways. It also granted variations to Hong Kong Airlines' licence and Cathay Pacific Airways' licence for the addition of

new routes.

In 2015, Cathay Pacific Airways operated scheduled services to 75 destinations worldwide, while Hong Kong Dragon Airlines operated scheduled services to 45 destinations in Asia, including 20 cities on the Mainland. Air Hong Kong operated scheduled all-cargo services to 12 destinations in Asia. Hong Kong Airlines operated scheduled services to 38 destinations in Asia and one all- cargo services to Turkey. Hong Kong Express Airways, the only local low-cost carrier, operated scheduled services to 23 destinations in Asia. The fleet of all the local airlines totalled 257 aircraft during the year.

Seven non-Hong Kong airlines launched scheduled passenger services to Hong Kong in 2015: Jetstar Japan started services from Tokyo and Osaka in February; Etihad Airways started services from Abu Dhabi in April; Philippines AirAsia Inc started services from Manila in May; PT Lion Mentari Airlines operated services from Denpasar in July and August; Jetstar Pacific Airlines and

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