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Travellers attempt to navigate through the crowd of anti-government protesters in the departure hall of Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Sam Tsang
Opinion
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial
Editorial
by SCMP Editorial

Targeting the airport is a step too far as it puts economy at risk

  • Travellers are likely to avoid the city – one of the busiest aviation hubs in the region – out of concern for plans being disrupted, impacting the tourism, convention and business sectors and jobs

Hong Kong International Airport is important to the city and its economy; that is why thousands of pro-democracy protesters have been descending on it. The decision by authorities yesterday to cancel flights for a second time was therefore not taken lightly. They may well have been justified though, due to the disruption to passenger flows and raising of safety and security concerns in the arrival and departure halls. The demonstrators have made their point and can claim to have succeeded in their immediate goal, but questions have to be asked whether they should be permitted to continue to push their cause in such a way.

Secretary for Transport and Housing Frank Chan Fan said after the chaos of Monday’s mass demonstration that the reputation of Hong Kong and the airport had been seriously harmed. Closure had been necessary on grounds of safety to aviation, passengers and staff. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor echoed him yesterday, saying such actions made the city no longer safe, adding that it had been “seriously wounded”. People staging peaceful sit-in protests may not consider themselves a security risk, but the city’s image as being among the safest in the world has taken a hit as a result of violent clashes between radical demonstrators and police.

Check-ins suspended as protesters swarm Hong Kong airport for second day

Tensions are high. Petrol bombs were thrown at police stations on Sunday, injuring one officer, and Beijing has said that the unrest is starting to show “signs of terrorism”. Demonstrators allege officers have used excessive force.

Protesters have been gathering at the airport since last Friday to lobby arriving passengers. Their actions are objected to by police, but being peaceful, tolerated. Sunday’s citywide events during which a woman protester suffered a severe eye injury heightened anger and prompted calls to strengthen numbers. The frustration after months of government inaction to demands is understandable, but so many people showed up that routine business was affected. Coupled with the tense environment and the risk of a hot-headed protester going too far, a case can be made for halting passenger and cargo traffic.

The loss from even a one-day shutdown is significant. Hong Kong’s airport is the third busiest in East Asia after Beijing and Tokyo and counted on by mainland authorities to be an integral transport hub for the Greater Bay Area development plan. The airport and its operations contribute 5 per cent to Hong Kong’s GDP. The immediate impact may cost hundreds of millions of dollars, but longer term, travellers are likely to avoid the city out of concern for plans being disrupted, impacting the tourism, convention and business sectors and jobs. Protesters have to consider whether their targeting of the airport is worth such losses.

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Targeting the airport is a step too far as it puts economy at risk
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