Members angry at Kai Tak proposal

EASTERN District Board members were up in arms yesterday over suggestions that the flight curfew should be lifted at Kai Tak to allow more aircraft into the territory.

At a board committee meeting on the environment, members said residents in the district would take action to safeguard their right to a good night's sleep.

Chan Tim-shing said: ''The relaxation will add to the suffering of aircraft noise more than 10,000 of us are already putting up with. This certainly outweighs any economic benefits it may have.'' No flights are allowed during curfews without special Civil Aviation Department (CAD) approval. But the CAD admitted there were 393 flights after midnight last year, mainly due to technical and weather problems.

Night flights pose a particular problem to Eastern residents since most of them will take the Lei Yue Mun Gap approach instead of flying over Kowloon City.

Board members expressed fears that an ad hoc approach would be exploited and demanded thorough consultation before any decision was taken.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Hong Kong Tourist Association last month suggested easing flight restrictions between 9 pm and midnight and lifting the curfew between midnight and 6.30 am.

CAD Assistant Director Peter Bodiley said his department had not received any formal request from the two associations, but IATA had expressed concern over the limited capacity at Kai Tak.