Should Hong Kong's airport build a third runway?

JT06 · 03-06-2011, 04:57 PM

I think so.

Check out the consultation website. I certainly hope that this time those who support the project will speak up. I am confident that the majority support the third runway and hope that the debate won't be dominated by those who object, which are often the loudest.

Hong Kong International Airport Master Plan 2030

dipper · 03-06-2011, 05:04 PM

Originally Posted by JT06:

I think so.

Dear Mr JT06

Whilst concise, I fear that some simple souls such as myself might find your argument to be a little lacking in detail. Could you possibly share with a little of your analysis of the issue so that we might better understand your position?

Yours in anticipation,

dipper

JT06 · 03-06-2011, 05:17 PM

I simply wanted to let you all see the website and the relevant arguments for yourselves. But sure. My view is that Hong Kong doesn't have much edge left. The international connectivity and world-class service of our airport is one that we should not give up easily. I would hate to see that the airport, and therefore the destinations and frequencies of flights in and out of HK, cannot grow due to runway capacity constraint. The airport not only directly provides employment to tens of thousands of people, but is vital to all the related industries, e.g. airlines, tourism, air freight, logistics, and their supporting industries. The economic benefit of having a strong and well-connected airport is great.

On a more personal level, our airport is one of the very few things in Hong Kong that I am still truly proud of. I want it to stay the best.

PDLM · 03-06-2011, 07:20 PM

So you think that spending the same amount of money on fixing the pollution problem (which it would do with some to spare) wouldn't be better for HK overall (given that HK is appraently losing loads of business and international businessmen to Singapore and elsewhere because it is so bad)?

virago · 03-06-2011, 09:19 PM

i think the argument is 5 years too late as it will be full cacipty in a few years and will take another five to build the new runway.

paul9 · 04-06-2011, 12:29 AM

Originally Posted by PDLM:

So you think that spending the same amount of money on fixing the pollution problem (which it would do with some to spare)...

Are you suggesting these two projects (expanding the airport + cleaning the air) are truly mutually exclusive? I'd suggest that HK should be busy making parallel progress on both...

Dreadnought · 04-06-2011, 02:06 AM

Originally Posted by JT06:

I simply wanted to let you all see the website and the relevant arguments for yourselves. But sure. My view is that Hong Kong doesn't have much edge left. The international connectivity and world-class service of our airport is one that we should not give up easily. I would hate to see that the airport, and therefore the destinations and frequencies of flights in and out of HK, cannot grow due to runway capacity constraint. The airport not only directly provides employment to tens of thousands of people, but is vital to all the related industries, e.g. airlines, tourism, air freight, logistics, and their supporting industries. The economic benefit of having a strong and well-connected airport is great.

On a more personal level, our airport is one of the very few things in Hong Kong that I am still truly proud of. I want it to stay the best.

Originally Posted by virago:

i think the argument is 5 years too late as it will be full cacipty in a few years and will take another five to build the new runway.

Arrivals are spaced around at 5 minutes apart, 25% of the time only one of two runways is in use, no parallel landings, no aircraft backed up past the holding point. Pilots requesting the south runway (most pax landings are on the north runway and freighters on the south) for quicker taxiing to their gate will often get clearance.

The idea of forward thinking is all well and good, but my question is this - what is it really that is currently limiting air traffic growth in HKG? The absence of a third runway? Or something else? Like tightly controlled Chinese airspace.

Once that gets cleared up, we might start seeing whether this is really required to "solidify HKG's position as an aviation hub." Whatever the f**k that means.

JT06 · 04-06-2011, 09:41 AM

Yes I agree that HK government should improve the air quality. It should do many things. Many of which don't even cost that much money. In fact they have a lot of money and can do many things at the same time, if they have the intelligence and the will to do them. So it's really not a either A or B situation. The third runway won't be built by only government money anyway.

As for runway capacity, the China airspace control is a big problem. It's also a problem that's largely outside HK's control. No one knows how long it's going to take for China to resolve that problem. But meanwhile, we can't just sit on our asses and wait. So the question is, do we work around it, build the infrastructure that's needed whether the problem is resolved or not, or do nothing. While it's true that the runway capacity of two runways will be higher if the air traffic control issue can be resolved, it still won't be able to satisfy all the demand in 20 years. So I say, work on the ATC with China, and build what's needed either way at the same time.

JT06 · 04-06-2011, 09:42 AM

About being late, yes, I agree. It will taken another 10 years to build, IF we decide to build it now.

humpty · 17-06-2011, 12:39 AM

It's a joke that in the 1990s the designers deliberately chose the island for it's ample space but didn't have the foresight to maybe one day add an extra runway. and because of that it's going to cost a fortune (about hk100 bil) to put it right. That's like 5 times of what we paid for the airport.