About 8,000 lights, able to pierce the thickest fogs, will ensure Chek Lap Kok will not be crippled by poor visibility, officials say. The Airport Authority's reassurance came yesterday in the wake of the weekend flight paralysis at Kai Tak which disrupted 16,000 passengers. The last of the delayed flights took off at 3 pm yesterday. The instrument landing and lighting systems at Chek Lap Kok would allow pilots to land and take off in almost zero visibility, said spokesman Chris Donnolley. Planes coming in to land at Kai Tak have to abort if they cannot see the runway at a height of 152 metres. But aircraft on final approach to the new airport's southern runway will be able to make such a decision at 30 metres, at which they should see a 350-metre stretch of runway. The northern runway, which has an 'all sea approach' at its western end, can handle landings in 200-metre visibility. Mr Donnolley said: 'Visibility at 200 metres practically means zero visibility. 'It is about as thick as fog gets.'
