Welcome to My Blog
November 2, 2024
Hong Kong's aviation industry is renowned worldwide, and this week, we welcomed a significant addition to our family: Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) has officially set up its customer service office in Hong Kong. With a basket of policy measures in the 2024 Policy Address which aimed at consolidating Hong Kong's status as an international aviation hub, I am more confident than ever that we can lead the development of Hong Kong's aviation industry to new heights.
COMAC Opens Office in Hong Kong
COMAC is a key player in realising China's aviation dreams, having developed the first domestically produced large passenger aircraft, the C919. The C919 passenger aircraft has been delivered successively, and COMAC is actively researching and developing the highly anticipated, larger C929 aircraft. On Wednesday, I attended the opening ceremony of COMAC's customer service office in Hong Kong, where a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between COMAC and the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) to deepen collaboration. Under the MoU’s framework, AAHK and COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service will collaborate to promote C919’s international flight operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA); strengthen training and exchanges on aircraft operation and maintenance; bolster studies on the standards and policies for the aircraft operation and relevant airport facilities at HKIA; as well as strengthen professional consultations on aviation-related services in the Greater Bay Area. I firmly believe that, on the one hand, COMAC’s presence in Hong Kong will enable seamless integration with international markets; it can further invigorate Hong Kong's aviation development and creating a win-win situation on the other.
I recently participated in the opening ceremony of COMAC's customer service office in Hong Kong.
Forward planning to Strengthen International Aviation Hub Status
We have never ceased our efforts to support Hong Kong in consolidating its status as an international aviation hub. This year’s Policy Address proposed multiple policies which aimed at enhancing our international aviation hub's good name.
Currently, HKIA connects to nearly 200 global destinations. We will continue to support HKIA in opening new routes and flights, particularly enhancing co-operation with civil aviation counterparts from "Belt and Road" countries. For instance, Cathay Pacific launched a direct flight to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, earlier this week and our Financial Secretary also took this flight for a duty visit in Riyadh.
Leveraging the advantages of the Greater Bay Area is also our strategic focus. HKIA manages Zhuhai Airport under a franchise model, and we will continue to combine the strengths of Zhuhai Airport to improve the “Fly-Via-Zhuhai Hong Kong” direct passenger service launched at the end of last year. We will also collaborate with Zhuhai to develop international cargo business for greater synergy.
Moving from western Guangdong to the east, there is Dongguan, another strategic area closely collaborating with the AAHK. A pilot program for sea-air intermodal cargo-transhipment between Dongguan and Hong Kong was smoothly implemented by the AAHK at the end of 2021. The initial phase of the permanent facilities for the HKIA Dongguan Logistics Park will be completed by the end of next year, and the cargo-handling capacity will reach one million tonnes per annum progressively. We are also proactively planning the second phase of development to introduce more high-value logistics, cross-boundary e-commerce and courier service facilities.
Software support related to transhipment also needs to be enhanced. Currently, certain regulated items, such as specific strategic goods, pharmaceutical products, and drugs that remain in the transhipment area of HKIA during transit, can be exempted from the import and export licensing requirements. We will expedite the extension of the Air Transhipment Cargo Exemption Scheme to other intermodal cargo-transhipment modes to boost competitiveness.
Advancing Green Aviation with SAF Development
As an international aviation hub, Hong Kong must strengthen the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to maintain connections with both the mainland and the international community.
The fuel infrastructure at HKIA allows airlines to receive, store, and use pre-mixed SAF now. AAHK, on the Government’s request, completed a consultancy study on SAF which covered its development trends at international, national, and regional levels, and proposed recommendations on policy support, facilitation measures, and infrastructure improvements. Based on the findings of the report, we will set the direction for promoting SAF, including setting a target for SAF consumption on flights departing from HKIA. Our flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific, successfully adopted SAF at the HKIA in 2022 and rolled out the Cathay Corporate SAF Programme the same year which enables members to purchase SAF for uplift on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo flights from Hong Kong and other ports on the network, with a view to reducing Scope 3 carbon emissions due to business travel and transportation. Cathay Pacific will continue to increase the adoption of SAF and has made a commitment to use SAF for 10% of the total fuel consumption by 2030.
Expanding the Airport City
HKIA has evolved from a city airport into an Airport City in recent years and we aim to expand the scale of the Airport City by more than double. The AAHK is planning to develop the bay area among the Airport Island, the Hong Kong Port Island of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and Tung Chung East New town. I hope that the expanded Airport City can transform our renowned airport into a leading global landmark and a "destination" for travelers from around the world. New projects include creating an ecosystem for the arts industry, building the AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2, developing a marina and ancillary facilities, opening a jet fresh market, integrating high-end commerce, tourism, and leisure activities.
We will also see the completion and operation of the three-runway system very soon, which will increase HKIA's capacity by 50% starting in 2035. Some lucky ones will even have the opportunity to participate in the “HKIA‧Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon: Three-Runway System 10km International Race” to be held on the airport runway in two weeks. Our colleagues from the Transport and Logistics Bureau are getting ready for the race and while we are leading the development of Hong Kong's aviation industry to new heights, we will also achieve the best time in this once-in-a-lifetime event.
New projects include creating an ecosystem for the arts industry, building the AsiaWorld-Expo Phase 2, developing a marina and ancillary facilities, opening a jet fresh market, integrating high-end commerce, tourism, and leisure activities.