Fourth runway for Hong Kong unlikely, airport chief says
Chairman of the Hong Kong Airport Authority says the city as a whole lacks the infrastructure to deal with more incoming travellers
Jack So Chak-kwong, chairman of the Hong Kong Airport Authority, put that down to a lack of supporting infrastructure for the potential influx of travellers, such as hotels, roads, restaurants and even car parking spaces.
“I think a city has got to plan for expansion in totality … You have got to plan and do these things one step at a time. It’s not just a runway. You have got to have all of the other facilities that make up Hong Kong’s capacity in total,” So said, speaking to the Post during a government trade mission to Dublin earlier this month.
The city is currently building a third runway on reclaimed land under a HK$141.5 billion (US$18 billion) expansion project, which includes a new passenger concourse, a new airport terminal train and baggage system.
Lawmakers have criticised the cost, half of which will be borne by travellers, including through additional fees levied on airlines and passed on in higher fares.