Cathay chief seeks third runway at HKIA
HONG KONG – Cathay Pacific chief executive Tony Tyler has stressed a need for airlines to be involved in the feasibility study for a third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).
Speaking at the “Greener Skies†conference, Tyler said that airlines know as much, if not more, than anyone about airports and “we should be a key player in the debateâ€.
Tyler said that Hong Kong is 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 coordination of the future development of aviation services in the delta region, he stressed this should not happen at the expense of the Hong Kong hub.
HKIA, he said, was already heavily slot-constrained for most of the day and moves to increase movements through the use of new air-traffic control equipment would only delay the day when Hong Kong’s airport became fully slot constrained.
That, said Tyler, would mean HKIA becoming sidelined as other regional hubs predominated.
“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,†Tyler said.
“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.â€
Commenting on plans to develop a rail link between Hong Kong International Airport and Shenzhen Airport, Tyler said that while this could address some of Hong Kong’s needs, it would at best be complementary to a third runway at HKIA.
“Why would travellers want to come to Hong Kong and get on a train into the Mainland to pick up another flight when they can do it at HKIA as they do now?
“The rail link certainly would not be a substitute for that third runway,†Tyler said.
Ian Jarrett
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