A section of the passenger terminal is plunged into darkness
Hong Kong International Airport was once again plunged into darkness yesterday, but this time authorities were prepared for the power cut which shut down an entire section of the passenger terminal at 1.30am.
Within 90 seconds, power had been restored and the potential impact to passengers declared 'minimal'.
The simulated incident follows a series of glitches in recent months which left parts of Chek Lap Kok airport without lighting, baggage handling systems and air conditioning.
The Airport Authority staged the simulated breakdown yesterday to coincide with the announcement of a planned multi-million dollar power system upgrade in the next 12 months. But senior officials have refused to rule out further disruptions.
'It would be imprudent to make promises for 100 per cent availability with zero interruption,' said the authority's technical services and procurement head Wong Yiu-fai.