Air Transport

Hong Kong airport is planning to build a new concourse, more aircraft stands and expand its apron so it can increase capacity.

A preliminary study, for this midfield expansion, is underway and is due to be completed next year, says a Hong Kong airport spokeswoman.

She was unable to give a time-frame for when construction will start and end.

The expansion involves building a new passenger concourse, more aircraft stands and expanding the apron so the airport can make greater use of its two runways and increase capacity, says the spokeswoman.

The midfield expansion is in addition to the satellite north concourse that is already under-construction and is due to be completed at year-end, she says, adding that this satellite concourse has 10 aero-bridges.

The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region chief executive Donald Tsang announced yesterday, in the government's policy address, that Hong Kong airport would be undergoing a midfield expansion to meet air traffic demand up to 2020.

To meet demand, the airport plans to steadily increase hourly aircraft movements to 68 by 2015, says Hong Kong Airport Authority chairman Marvin Cheung.

Cathay Pacific Airways says the midfield expansion is needed to address "the worrying levels of traffic congestion at Hong Kong International Airport in the short and medium-term."

"It is very important to continue to monitor the growth in demand so that all facilities at the airport are in place to meet long-term traffic growth," it adds.