SAR authority considers link with Zhuhai for express air-cargo facility

The Hong Kong Airport Authority is considering building a dedicated express air-cargo facility across the Pearl River in Zhuhai in co-operation with its mainland counterpart.

The authority yesterday asked interested parties to submit proposals for a consultancy study that would examine the potential for an express hub at the under-utilised airport in Zhuhai. The deadline for proposals is December 3 and the study deadline set for June.

Proposals are to 'assess the feasibility and benefits of co-operation between the airports at Zhuhai and Hong Kong . . . to formulate a strategy and implementation plan'.

While the authority said the study was in line with the long-term strategy laid out in its Master Plan 2020 released last month, the notice - posted on its Web site - caught many by surprise, including senior executives at the authority.

Executives at Chek Lap Kok's air-cargo companies, which have express facilities of their own, were caught off-guard.

One said: 'It seems very strange this happened given that there was no prior discussion where Zhuhai even popped up. We heard a couple of months ago executives from the four or five airports in south China had [met], but we thought it was more or less a get-to-know-you gathering. This is a complete surprise.'