Dear AFA Members, Associates and Friends,
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.
As you know, the AFA has played an important advocacy role throughout the past year, including hosting high profile leadership lunches adressed by formaer IATA Director General and CEO, Giovanni Bisignani (in February), British Airways Chairman, Martin Broughton (in March) and CEO of Dubai Airports, Paul Griffiths (in May). Each spoke eloquently and forcefully of the damaging economic consequences of putting an artifical brake on airport development and of targeting aviation in general for an increasing array of financial levies.
The Forum's highly successful symposium on 2 September: 'Our Airport, Our Future, Final Call' rounded out the consultation on the Master Plan 2030 with a balanced mix of informed local and overseas perspectives on the issues associated with construction of a third runway at HKIA. The discussions in the symposium and the following press conference, hosted by AFA President Martin Craigs and deaturing AAHK Chief Executive, Stanley Hui, Cathay Pacific CEO, John Slosar, Airports Council International Director General, Angela Gittens and Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Director, Andrew Herman, were extensively covered by the press and electronic media.
The Forum issued the following public statement on 30 December, welcoming the AAHK announcement:
"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 enbaler 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 cosultation exercise) and thus play an important role in stimulating informed, balanced and open discussionof the options for future development of the HKIA.
The resuts of the consultation, which overwhelming favour construction of a third runway at the Hong Kong Inernational Airport as soon as possible, show that hte 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 environment impact assessment of constructing a third runway at HKIA and we look forward to continuing to support the Authority in this important endeavour."
This is now posted on the AFA website as is the statement by IATA's Director General, Tony Tyler.
With best wishes,
Elizabeth Bosher
Director-General, AFA
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