Etihad Chairman and CEO James Hogan, AFA Director-General Elizabeth Bosher and AFA President, PATA CEO Martin Craigs share a toast at the AFA / Etihad Cocktail Reception. [Click to enlarge]
Around 100 guests attended a memorable AFA / Etihad Airways Cocktail Reception at the Conrad Hotel, Hong Kong on 27 November 2012. AFA President and PATA CEO Martin Craigs introduced James Hogan, Etihad President and CEO, who spoke of the airline’s expansion plans. Now operating 71 aircraft, Etihad will have an additional 100 added to the fleet over the next seven years. Furthermore Etihad now has 41 code-share partners. An Etihad equity partner, Air Seychelles, was a focus of the evening because the two airlines will soon commence code-share flights to Hong Kong.
Event Review: Higher, Faster, Stronger... an Olympic lead for aviation activists in Asia
Martin Craigs provides a review of two recent major aerospace events - IATA's 68th Annual General Meeting held in Beijing from 10-12 June 2012 and the biennial Farnborough International Airshow which ran from 14-15 July 2012.
Event Review: 174th Industry Leadership Luncheon - Who Dares Wins, with Douglas Oakervee
Aerospace Forum Asia (AFA)had the pleasure of hosting Chairman of Laing O'Rourke Construction HK Ltd., Douglas Oakervee, as guest speaker at the Forum's 174th Industry Leadership Luncheon on Friday, 11th May 2012. Despite short notice the event attracted a full house (including former Chief Secretary, Anson Chan) at the FCC's Hughes Room to hear Oakervee address the challenging topic of planning tomorrow's transport infrastructure in the UK and Hong Kong. In her welcoming remarks AFA Director General, Elizabeth Bosher, noted that this was the first lunch in many years that President, Martin Craigs, had been unable to host personally. He had nevertheless sent his good wishes for the event.
In introducing the speaker, Bosher noted that a long career in major construction projects in Hong Kong was crowned by Oakervee's successful role as Project Director responsible for the construction and commissioning of the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok in less than eight years. Since returning to the UK he held the post of Chairman of the London Crossrail project from 2005-09, following which he was appointed as Chairman of Laing O'Rourke HK Ltd. and has recently taken up appointment as Chair of HS2, the authority responsible for overseeing expansion of the UK's high speed rail network.
PATA and AFA are proud to present a tribute to 101 years of aviation development in Thailand on the occasion of the eve of the first powered aircraft flight which took place on 31 January 1911. We salute the pioneering spirit of those who brought aviation to Thailand and those who followed to develop a thriving aviation industry of which all Thai people can justifiably be proud. We are gathering on this occasion in the magnificent Paribatra Aviation Lounge on the 37th floor of The Peninsula Bangkok, a venue rich in the history and achievements of Thai aviation. I welcome all who can join us for this special occasion - a tribute the past and a vision for the future.
First of all, warmest wishes for good health and good business in 2012!
Admidst the gloom of rising fuel prices and the impending imposition of punitive tax on carbon emissions from all international flights with destinations inside the European Union, the announcement by the Airport Authority of Hong Kong (on 29 December) of the results of the three-month public consultation on its Master Plan 2030 was a very welcome morale booster.
A whopping 73% of respondents opted for Option 2 - developing the three-runway system at HKIA - compared to just 11% who preferred Option 1, maintaining the HKIA's two-runway system.
83% strongly agreed that HKIA should continue to be expanded to help it cope with future air traffic demand; and
80% strongly agreed that a decision should be made urgently on the airport's future development.
While also rightly acknowledging the importance of assessing and addressing the environmental implications of building a third runway, the overall thrust of public opinion is a ringing endorsement of the pragmatism and common sense of the Hong Kong community.
Statement by Aerospace Forum Asia on results of the HKIA MP2030 Public Consultation Exercise and Airport Authority's Recommendations to the Government
AFA Press Release, 30 December 2011
For the past 25 years Aerospace Forum Asia has been the region's leading advocate, promoting government, industry, media and public appreciation of the aerospace industry as a vital enabler of global, sustainable economic growth.
The Forum wishes to congratulate the Airport Authority Hong Kong on the energy, professionalism and diligence with which it has carried out the consultation process on its Master Plan 2030. In particular we are proud to have hosted the "Our Airport, Our Future, Final Call" Symposium on 2 September (the last day of the public consultation exercise) and thus play an important role in stimulating informed, balanced and open discussion of the options for future development of the HKIA.
The results of the consultation, which overwhelmingly favour construction of a third runway at the Hong Kong International Airport as soon as possible, show that the Hong Kong community has an excellent understanding of the importance of the Airport in supporting international trade, tourism and economic growth in Hong Kong, South China and the wider Asian Region.
We wholly endorse the recommendation which the Authority's Board has made to the Hong Kong SAR Government, to proceed with urgency towards a full environmental impact assessment of constructing a third runway at HKIA and we look forward to continuing to support the Authority in this important endeavour.
Event Review: Navigating the Headwinds with John Slosar
"When AFA met PATA" - A report from the AFA Industry Leader Lunch & PATA Hong Kong Hub City Forum by Jonathan Sharp.
It was a true meeting of minds and soulmates: on 12 December Aerospace Forum Asia (AFA) joined hands with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for a high-value, high energy gathering at Marriott SkyCity Hotel at Hong Kong International Airport. As Martin Craigs, the freshly minted PATA CEO who also maintains his long-standing and close ties with AFA, said: "We're all in this together."
For PATA it was a groundbreaking event, marking its first Hub City Forum, a prototype for a travel industry dialogue that PATA is taking on the road to six hub cities in 2012. For AFA, it was the latest in its highly regarded Industry Leader Lunches, this time graced by a typically forceful speech by Cathay Pacific Airways' Chief Executive John Slosar.
AFA Symposium - HKIA Third Runway Parts 1-3 (video)
Video Presentation: AFA Symposium - HKIA Third Runway
Video review of the AFA Symposium - HKIA Third Runway held at the Marriott Sky City on Friday, 2nd September 2011. The symposium featured keynote speeches from Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO, Stanley Hui and Cathay Pacific Airways CEO John Slosar.
Session one speakers featured Eric Bohm, CEO of WWF Hong Kong, Alexi Bhanja, Technical Director, Water and Environment, SMEC Asia Limited, Sheila Thomas, Managing Director China, Landrum & Brown and Andrew Herdman, Director-General of the Association of Asia-Pacific Airlines.
Watch the video.
The second panel session, moderated by AFA Director-General Liz Bosher, focused on economic and business issues and was in general more sympathetic with the proposed three-runway system.
Invited speakers were Angela Gittens, Director-General of Airports Council International, Randy Tinseth, Boeing's Vice President of Marketing, Dr. C. K. Law, Associate Director of the Aviation Policy & Research Centre at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Fiona Waters, Principal Economist, Business and Infrastructure at PwC.
Watch the video.
The symposium concluded with a media briefing and question and answer session. Panelists speaking to the media were Stanley Hui, John Slosar, Andrew Herdman and Angela Gittens.
At one of the most successful and best-appreciated events organized by the Aerospace Forum Asia in its 25-year history, the arguments for and against the construction of a third runway for Hong Kong International Airport were hashed out in depth at a Symposium held on September 2 on the airport's Master Plan 2030. The event was a much valued contribution to the debate over what panellist George Cautherley described as a "complex matrix of issues" surrounding what is demonstrably one of the more important infrastructure decisions to be made by Hong Kong in the second decade of the 21st century.
As AFA President Martin Craigs commented, the timing of the Symposium was immaculate – on the final day of the three-month public consultation period on the Master Plan. Furthermore the 10-strong cast assembled to discuss the issues came from far and wide and was stellar in quality. Crucially, speakers were by no means all on the same page in the debate. While the event was bookended by two aviation industry leaders promoting the airport expansion – Airport Authority Hong Kong CEO Stanley Hui and Cathay Pacific Airways CEO John Slosar – eloquent and respected voices were heard from the environmental camp of doubters and dissenters.
"It's an inclusive and open forum for open minds," said Craigs minutes before the 9:00 a.m. start of the Symposium. "We are here to find more common ground, not to unhelpfully have combat."
He was not disappointed. Kicking off proceedings in the first keynote speech, Hui was clearly mindful of the sometimes intemperate criticism from lobbies such as the WWF over how the consultation has been handled. "No effort has been spared to reach out to as many stakeholders and members of the public as possible," he said. More than 29,000 questionnaires and written feedback submissions – much of it favourable – had been received by the University of Hong Kong's Social Sciences Research Centre, appointed to independently collect, compile and analyse views on the Master Plan.
Concerns over the environment impact of the three-runway system were totally valid. "We have also repeatedly said throughout the consultation that the preliminary assessment is no replacement for a detailed and through statutory environmental impact assessment (EIA) that would need to be carried under Hong Kong law."
Development of the airport and environmental protection were not mutually exclusive, he said. "Our goal is to be the greenest airport in the world."
The Centre will send to the Airport Authority its report in October. "We plan to submit our recommendation [to the Government] before the end of the year," Hui added.
First up to cast doubt on the Airport Authority's green credentials was Eric Bohm, CEO of WWF Hong Kong, who joked that he felt like he was entering a "lions' den".
Paul Griffiths - 172nd Industry Leader Luncheon - 9 May 2011
Martin Craigs entertains guests at the AFA Booth at Asian Aerospace 2011
Martin Craigs and Tony Tyler at Asian Aerospace 2011
Centenary of Flight / China Clipper Lunch - 17 March 2011
From the Archives
Peter Sutch and Willie Boulter AFA-Farewell Kai Tak Ball Feb 1998-Peninsula
AFA Spotlight
Aerospace Forum Asia (AFA) is a regional non-profit association of industry professionals dedicated to advancing appreciation of the overwhelmingly positive societal role of civil aerospace.
Established in 1986 in Hong Kong as an informal meeting group, AFA today plays a unique role around Asia as a multipurpose rallying point. Membership is by invitation and provides high level business insights and access, together with value adding advocacy activities.
The Forum has since 1998, raised over US$350,000 for aviation related charities – particularly ORBIS, the flying eye hospital, via its innovative Aerospace Auction, and charity initiatives.
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