Proposed airport mall will suffer same fate as Terminal Two
I read with dismay the report ('Plans take wing for outlet mall at airport', June 10).
It would be wrong if the Airport Authority got into another venture of this kind given the fiasco of the shopping mall at Terminal Two.
The report and the artist's impression of the 'outlet shopping centre' showed a huge area of Chek Lap Kok earmarked for several hundred outlet shops.
The operator planning the project is just waiting for the go-ahead from the Airport Authority [which will make the 'final decision on the land use'].
It seems to me that this proposal has come out at this time to test public sentiment before the authority goes to the government and asks for its blessing to go ahead with the project. God forbid if it is allowed to do this.
Look at the authority's track record. It lost its best-airport title to Singapore's 30-year-old Changi [in 2006], and then this year to South Korea's Inchon International Airport.
A number of correspondents have asked for the Airport Authority to be reined in and for a public inquiry to be held to look into claims that money has been wasted.
The authority has use of Chek Lap Kok for 50 years and can proceed with ventures that are connected to the airport business. But it has become involved in hotels, convention centres, cinemas and shopping malls that compete with ordinary shopkeepers. Now what has a mall of outlet shops got to do with the airport business?
Up till now our government has been ineffective in dealing with this body.
I appeal to the administration to do something to stop this runaway train and sanction the public inquiry to ensure that the authority is being properly run.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang Yam-kuen claims he speaks for the people of Hong Kong, but on this issue he has not listened to them.
He must put a stop to the money the authority is wasting.
M. Lai, Mong Kok
