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1.
Airport Authority to enhance SkyPier
1. Airport Authority to enhance SkyPier
Danny
Chung, SCMP 4 November 2004
The
Airport Authority's SkyPier ferry service, which carried more than
twice as many passengers as expected during its first year, plans
to add two berths and two destinations and eventually build a permanent
pier.
Zhongshan
and Lianhuashan will be added to the list of ports comprising Shekou
and Fuyong in Shenzhen, Humen in Dongguan, and Macau.
The
authority started SkyPier to encourage more mainlanders from the
Pearl River Delta to use Hong Kong International Airport.
To
meet the expected increase in passengers, two extra berths on a
converted barge will be added to the three berths on the present
temporary pier.
The
Airport Authority plans to start the new services and open the new
berths before the end of the year.
It
said it continues to target 2007 for the replacement of its temporary
pier with a permanent one, though it has yet to issue a cost estimate.
In
the first half of next year, it hopes to transfer identity checking,
airline check-in and luggage inspection to the mainland ports.
At
a reception on Wednesday marking SkyPier's first anniversary, Airport
Authority chief executive David Pang dismissed suggestions that
the roll-out had fallen far behind schedule. He said the service
had to be co-ordinated with other nearby developments, such as SkyCity,
and a proposed light rail system.
``Our
plans right now are based on market demand,'' he said.
Jacqueline
Wan, assistant general manager for passenger facilitation, said
that in the first year of operation to last September, more than
770,000 passengers had used the ferry, far exceeding the 300,000
forecast.
The
ferry operator, Hong Kong International Airport Ferry Terminals
Services, is a 60-40 joint venture between Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises
(Holdings) and Shun Tak-China Travel International Logistics Investment.
Wan
said the authority expects passenger numbers to exceed a million
for the next full year of service.
Passenger
numbers have grown steadily, from 23,830 in the first month to 88,292
this September. In October, they exceeded 100,000.
Once
the new berths are in operation, the number of trips per day should
rise to about 60 from the current 45.
Pansy
Ho, managing director of Shun Tak (Holdings), owner of Shun Tak-China,
said the firm preferred not to invest directly in the pier but might
consider a contract to run the ferries.
Separately,
Secretary for Economic Development and Labour Stephen Ip told the
Legislative Council that Hong Kong International airport had not
been affected by the opening of Baiyun Airport in Guangzhou. He
said aircraft movements were up by 18 per cent year-on-year in September,
with passenger and cargo throughput rising by 15 per cent and 19
per cent respectively. danny.chung@globalchina.com
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