Twenty years after the need to alleviate overcrowding at Kai Tak was identified, Hong Kong is still waiting for its new airport.
Protracted wrangling meant building did not begin until a few years ago, when Kai Tak was already close to running at capacity.
Increasing air traffic meant Kai Tak was becoming congested, but its location made it impossible for a second runway to be built.
Sites considered for the new airport included the Western Harbour, Yuen Long, Tolo Harbour, Clear Water Bay and Nim Wan, but Chek Lap Kok was suggested in a commissioned consultancy study in the early 1980s.
The Government then came close to making a decision but plans for a new airport were shelved in 1983 amid Sino-British negotiations over the future of Hong Kong and fears the project would cost too much.
In October 1989, then-governor Sir David Wilson announced a $127 billion airport and port development project.
Chek Lap Kok was chosen as the site for the new airport, which officials were determined would open ahead of the handover.
