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The Hong Kong Airport Authority aims to boost the number of  aircraft using the two runways at Chek Lap Kok by the end of the year as fleet expansion by  home carriers puts more pressure on already stretched infrastructure.

Airport Authority chief executive Stanley Hui Hon-chung said yesterday that the two runways were operating at a 'relatively' saturated level, receiving 890 flights and 150,000 passengers a day in the busy season.

The airport yesterday reported record profit, boosted by rising travel to the mainland.

'We have to find ways to increase capacity in light of the aggressive fleet acquisition of these carriers,' he said.

Cathay Pacific Airways is to receive 18 Boeing 777s starting in September  and six  747s from  May next year. It will add six B747 freighters from next year. Hong Kong Airlines has agreed to buy 51 Airbus planes. Other home carriers are Dragonair and Hong Kong Oasis Airlines.

The authority will hire a consultancy  to study the maximum capacity of the runways.

Mr Hui said the runways may be capable of surpassing the target set by the government, which projects that  hourly capacity  on each landing strip would increase to 58  by 2009 from 54 at present.

Hindered by the proximity of five other airports in the region, air traffic control restrictions and the mountainous terrain around Lantau Island, Chek Lap Kok's runways cannot operate 'shoulder-to-shoulder' as do other international airports.

For example, Frankfurt  Airport can handle 80 aircraft  an hour.

High usage  rates had tempted the authority to raise  carrier fees , but Hong Kong's airport had not adjusted its rates in nine years,  and had in fact cut them 15 per cent in 2000.

'We have no plans to increase levies now, although we rank 47th among 50 international airports in terms of rates,'  Mr Hui said.

The government collected  HK$1.6 billion in dividends after the authority  reported a 19 per cent increase in net profit for the year to March.

Earnings climbed to HK$1.92 billion. Sales  grew 9 per cent to HK$7.7 billion on  an 8 per cent rise in passenger  volume and a 3 per cent rise in cargo tonnage. Dividends payable to the government  rose 23 per cent.

Mr Hui said there could be 7 per cent to 8 per cent  growth in passenger numbers this year.

The airport opened a new terminal this month to deal with rising passenger numbers.

A transport analyst said terminal two   will be a driving force for the authority in the future.

Mr Hui said economic growth in the mainland  would fuel passenger growth. About  50 per cent of passengers are from the mainland.

The authority invested in airports in China last year, with Hangzhou Airport contributing about HK$88 million  in profit, while Zhuhai Airport incurred a HK$6 million loss.



Ideas sought to increase airport capacity