The chaos at the new international airport has left a nasty taste in the mouths of the people of Hong Kong.
For nine years this project has been billed as the new flagship for the SAR, to lead Hong Kong into the new millennium. The shambles surrounding its opening have undoubtedly undermined our position as the leading trading and tourist centre for the region.
As your editorial of July 8 pointed out, teething problems are inevitable in such a colossal undertaking, but clearly what we are witnessing goes far beyond this.
What is more baffling is that senior management both at Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) and the Airport Authority are passing the buck.
People at HACTL are saying that they were under tremendous pressure from the Airport Authority to move on July 6, despite the fact that their contract does not require them to be ready till mid-August.
People at the Airport Authority meanwhile say that they should have been informed of HACTL's unreadiness.
Back at the passengers' terminal it is obvious that whatever trials were undertaken were not adequate and as the Airport Authority has ultimate control over the entire project, it should be held responsible.