Third runway at Chek Lap Kok would be 'white elephant', say groups

A third runway at Chek Lap Kok airport will become another "white elephant", groups opposed to the plan say.

Neither Terminal Two, built in 2007, nor the HK$1 billion North Satellite Concourse, have helped the airport increase efficiency or flight capacity, according to environmental group Green Sense and the Airport Development Concern Network.

The groups are making a last-ditch attempt to highlight the fallacies of building a third runway before the Advisory Council on the Environment begins the first of several meetings today to discuss results of a public inspection of an environmental report.

The fate of Hong Kong's costliest infrastructure project hinges on how well the public accepts the results of the environmental assessment.

However, the groups are urging the committee to declare the environment report "no go" until it provides alternative solutions to the third runway.

"Terminal Two has no air bridges and only serves departures, not arrivals," said network spokesman Michael Mo.