THE Far East general manager for British Airways yesterday called on the Government to bring forward construction of the planned second runway at Chek Lap Kok airport, saying this week's closure of Manila's airport because of an accident could happen in the territory.
Peter Woodrow said the closure of Hong Kong's airport for even one day could have disastrous consequences for the economy, and would cause chaos for passengers and airlines.
'We would like to see Chek Lap Kok developed into a two-runway airport very quickly,' Mr Woodrow said.
'What happened in Manila at the beginning of the week could happen here. The place effectively closed for 21/2 days.
'The financial consequences of that to Hong Kong are actually pretty serious if you think about it, because of the loss of cargo and tourists.' Manila airport was closed for several hours on Monday because of an accident involving a China Airlines Boeing 747 that struck an illegally parked airport truck, damaging an engine.
The following day the landing gear on the front of the same aircraft collapsed on take-off from Manila, blocking the runway and forcing closure.
