HK to make its move on third runway

Hong Kong's Financial Secretary John Tsang said in his Budget Speech today that the Airport Authority (AA) would begin within this year the engineering and environmental feasibility studies for a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

The announcement was welcomed by Cathay Pacific chief executive Tony Tyler.

"Hong Kong's aviation hub is a key driver of the Hong Kong economy, and with HKIA already facing worrying levels of traffic congestion we need to look at how we can increase capacity in both the medium and longer term," he said.

"Taken together with various other ongoing measures to increase capacity at HKIA, a third runway is a vital component in the equation, and it is good news that a feasibility study is about to begin.

"Cathay Pacific would be happy to be a part of this study, as I am sure would the airline industry as a whole. We have a big stake in the outcome."

Tyler said the airline supported the HKIA-Shenzhen Airport Rail link as a solution to some of Hong Kong's transport problems. He also welcomed the Financial Secretary's announcement that runway movements at HKIA would be gradually increased to 68 per hour by 2015.

"While this is somewhat short of the 75 movements per hour envisaged in the AA's original Master Plan, it is nonetheless encouraging that the increasing constraints on traffic at HKIA are being tackled. We will continue to work with the AA and Civil Aviation Department to seek solutions to this critical issue," Tyler said.

But Hong Kong's position in the Pearl River Delta is a controversial one. There have been suggestions that with five airports in such a relatively small area, cooperation is the key.

But Tyler had some strong views on this at the Greener Skies conference held in Hong Kong earlier this week.

He told the many high-profile delegates - including IATA head Giovanni Bisignani - that Hong Kong was by far the most successful and efficient hub in a rapidly-expanding aviation enclave in the Pearl River Delta, where five airports operate.

While there was an understanding of the need to support the co-ordination of future development of aviation services in the delta region, he stressed this should not happen at the expense of the Hong Kong hub.

He said HKIA was already heavily slot-constrained for most of the day and increasing movements using new air-traffic control equipment will only delay the day when Hong Kong's airport became fully slot constrained. That would sideline HKIA as other regional hub airports began to dominate.

Hubs like Guangzhou and Shanghai are planning third, fourth and even fifth runways.

"Hong Kong faces the very real danger of gifting our competitive advantage away unless we move quickly and decisively on the third runway," said Tyler.

"The success of the Hong Kong hub is critical to the long-term health of the Hong Kong economy. Strangle the hub and you'll squeeze a good deal of life out of the Hong Kong economy as well."