Kai Tak Airport(IATA:HKG,ICAO:VHHH) was an international airport of Hong Kong from 1925 until 1998. Officially known as Hong Kong International Airport from 1954 to 6 July 1998,it is often referred to as Hong Kong International Airport,Kai Tak,[1] or simply Kai Tak and Kai Tak International Airport,to distinguish it from its successor,Chek Lap Kok International Airport,built on reclaimed and levelled land around the islands of Chek Lap Kok and Lam Chau,30 kilometres (19mi) to the west.[2]
Officially,Kai Tak Airport held the ICAO code of VHHH,but for logistical reasons during the transition to the new airport,it also temporarily used the ICAO code of VHHX,which is also the code used by the flight simulation community to virtually represent the airport.[citation needed]
Because of the geography of the area,with water on three sides of the runway,Kowloon City's residential apartment complexes to the north-west and 2,000-plus ft (610m-plus) mountains to the north-east of the airport,aircraft could not fly over the mountains and quickly drop in for a final approach. Instead,aircraft had to fly above Victoria Harbour and Kowloon City,passing north of Mong Kok's Bishop Hill. After passing Bishop Hill,pilots would see Checkerboard Hill with a large orange-and-white checkerboard pattern. Once the pattern was sighted and identified,aircraft made a low-altitude (sub-600ft;180m) 47-degree right-hand turn,ending with a short final approach and touchdown. For pilots,this airport was technically demanding,as the approach could not be flown by aircraft instruments,but had to be flown visually because of the right-hand turn required.[3]
The airport was surrounded by high-rise buildings. The airport car park is at the centre,and offices are on the right of the photograph.
Kai Tak was located on the eastern side of Kowloon Bay in Kowloon,Hong Kong. The area is surrounded by rugged mountains. Less than 4km (2.5mi) to the north and northeast of the former runway 13 threshold is a range of hills reaching an elevation of 2,000ft (610m). To the east of the former 31 threshold,the hills are less than 3km (1.9mi) away. Immediately to the south of the airport is Victoria Harbour,and farther south is Hong Kong Island with hills up to 2,100ft (640m).
When Kai Tak closed,there was only one runway in use,numbered 13/31 and oriented southeast–northwest (134/314 degrees true,136/316 degrees magnetic). The runway was made by reclaiming land from the harbour and was extended several times after its initial construction. The runway was 2,529m (8,297ft) when it was opened in 1958 and 3,390m (11,120ft) long when the airport closed in 1998. During the period between 1945 and 1955[citation needed] the airport used a different 13/31 alongside a crossing 07/25. These two runways were 1,450 by 70m (4,756 by 231ft) and 1,652 by 61m (5,420 by 201ft).[4]
At the northern end of the runway at closure,buildings rose up to six stories just across a major multi-lane arterial road. The other three sides of the runway were surrounded by Victoria Harbour. The low-altitude turning manoeuvre before the shortened final approach was so close to these buildings that passengers could spot television sets in the apartments:"...as the plane banked sharply to the right for landing ... the people watching television in the nearby apartments seemed an unsettling arm's length away."[5]
History
1925 to 1930s
The story of Kai Tak started in 1912 when two businessmen,Ho Kai and Au Tak,formed the Kai Tak Investment Company to reclaim land in Kowloon for development.[6] The land was acquired by the government for use as an airfield after the business plan failed.[7]
In 1924,Harry Abbott opened the Abbott School of Aviation on that piece of land.[8] Soon,it became a small grass strip runway airport used by the RAF,and by several flying clubs which,over time grew to include the Hong Kong Flying Club,the Far East Flying Training School,and the Aero Club of Hong Kong;these exist today as an amalgamation known as the Hong Kong Aviation Club. In 1928,a concrete slipway was built for seaplanes that used the adjoining Kowloon Bay.[2] The first control tower and hangar at Kai Tak were built in 1935. In 1936,the first domestic airline in Hong Kong was established.[citation needed]
Hong Kong fell into the hands of the Japanese on 12 December 1941,during World War II. In 1942,the Japanese army expanded Kai Tak,using many Allied prisoner-of-war (POW) labourers,[9] building two concrete runways,13/31 and 07/25. Numerous POW diary entries exist recalling the gruelling work and long hours working on building Kai Tak.[10] During the process,the historic wall of the Kowloon Walled City and the 45-metre (148ft) tall Sung Wong Toi,a memorial for the last Song dynasty emperor,were destroyed for materials.[11] A 2001 Environmental Study recommended that a new memorial be erected for the Sung Wong Toi rock and other remnants of the Kowloon area before Kai Tak.[12]
1945 to 1970s
Aerial view of the airport in 1971,three years before the 1974 extension.View of the airport in June 1971
A plan to turn Kai Tak into a modern airport was released in 1954.[2] By 1957 runway 13/31 had been extended to 1,664 metres (5,459ft),while runway 7/25 remained 1,450 metres (4,760ft) long;night operations were not allowed.[15]Bristol Britannia 102s took over BOAC's London-Tokyo flights in summer 1957 and were the largest airliners scheduled to the old airport (Boeing Stratocruisers never flew there). In 1958 the new NW/SE 2,550-metre (8,350ft) runway extending into Kowloon Bay was completed by land reclamation. The two old runways were removed with footprint used by apron and terminal building. The passenger terminal was completed in 1962.[2] The runway was extended in the mid-1970s to 3,390 metres (11,130ft),the final length.[16] This extension was completed in June 1974,but the full length of the runway was not in use until 31 December 1975,as construction of the new Airport Tunnel had kept the northwestern end of the runway closed.[17]
An Instrument Guidance System (IGS) was installed in 1974 to aid landing on runway 13. Use of the airport under adverse conditions was greatly increased.
In the 1970s,the airport's increasing traffic and growth of high-density developments around it raised concerns about the potential loss of life should a crash occur,though no serious accidents happened throughout its history of operations.[16]
Overcrowding in the 1980s and 1990s
The growth of Hong Kong also put a strain on the airport's capacity. Its usage was close to,and for some time exceeded,the designed capacity. The airport was designed to handle 24 million passengers per year,but in 1996,Kai Tak handled 29.5 million passengers,plus 1.56 million tonnes of freight,making it the third busiest airport in the world in terms of international passenger traffic,and busiest in terms of international cargo throughput.[2] Moreover,clearance requirements for aircraft takeoffs and landings made it necessary to limit the height of buildings that could be built in Kowloon. While Kai Tak was initially located far away from residential areas,the expansion of both residential areas and the airport resulted in Kai Tak being close to residential areas. This caused serious noise and engine pollution for nearby residents and put height restrictions,which were removed after Kai Tak closed.[18] A night curfew from 11:30 pm to 6:30 am in the early morning also hindered operations.[19]
A China Airlines Boeing 747 approaches the airport in 1998
As a result,in the late 1980s,the Hong Kong Government began searching for alternative locations for a new airport in Hong Kong to replace the aging airport. After deliberating on a number of locations,including the south side of Hong Kong Island,the government decided to build the airport on the island of Chek Lap Kok off Lantau Island. The new airport is located far away from Hong Kong's main residential areas,conducive to minimising the dangers of a major crash and also reducing the nuisance of noise pollution.[16] A huge number of resources were mobilised to build this new airport,part of the ten programmes in Hong Kong's Airport Core Programme.[citation needed]
The Regal Meridien Hong Kong Airport Hotel (now the Regal Oriental Hotel),linked to the passenger terminal by a footbridge spanning Prince Edward Road,opened on 19 July 1982. This was Hong Kong's first airport hotel,and comprised 380 rooms including 47 suites.[20] The hotel still exists,but the footbridge (which was connected to the passenger terminal) has been demolished. It is one of the few remaining buildings related to Kai Tak Airport.[citation needed]
Closure and legacy of Kai Tak Airport
The new airport in Chek Lap Kok officially opened on 6 July 1998 to replace the functions of Kai Tak Airport.[21][22] All of the essential airport supplies and vehicles that were left in the old airport for operation (some of the non-essential ones had already been transported to the new airport) were transported to Chek Lap Kok in one early morning with a single massive move,with a police escort.[citation needed]
On 6 July 1998 at 3:30 AM local,after the final aircraft departed for Chek Lap Kok,Kai Tak was finally retired as an airport. The last flight by:Ted Drummond
·YouTube ·
Shared with Public Captain George Service F/o Ted Drummond Canadian Airlines and a News paper reporter from the Calgary Herald operated the last passenger flight to land at HONG Kong Kia Tak airport at 130 AM on July 06 1998 on a special permit as Kia Tak had closed at midnight July 05 1998. A Canadian Airlines B747-400 ferry crew moved the aircraft to (CLK) Chek Lap Kok being the Last departure from Kia Tak probably about 3:30 AM. Our late arrival delayed our (CLK) departure. We arrived at CLK about 930 am to find that all terminal baggage belts broken and nobody had departed. William Koo's airport staff,ground handlers and maintenance crews stepped up. The air crew all got together boarded the aircraft and were ready when the bags showed up,doors closed I called for push clearance and we were #1. As we were approaching the takeoff point they shoved a Cathy in front of us and we ended up #2 takeoff out of CLK. The CLK Airport authority sent us a nice document in recognition. Hong Kong was one of the greatest cities in the world and all Canadian Pacific Airlines,CP Air and Canadian Airlines International serviced Kia Tak from 1949 to 1998. Canadian Airlines was acquired by Air Canada in 2000 and service to (CLK) Chek Lap Kok continues for a total of 75 years of service to the Great city of Hong Kong.[citation needed]
A ceremony celebrating the end of the airport was held inside the control tower after the final flight took off. Richard Siegel,then-director of civil aviation,gave a brief speech ending with the words "Goodbye Kai Tak,and thank you",before dimming the lights briefly and then turning them off.[23][24]
After the last plane or last commercial flight,a Cathay PacificAirbus A340-300,took off from Kai Tak International Airport to the new Hong Kong International Airport at 01:28 HKT,Kai Tak was permanently closed,and its ICAO and IATA airport codes were reassigned to the new airport at Chek Lap Kok.[citation needed]
The new airport at Chek Lap Kok opened at 06:00 (6:00 a.m.) on 6 July 1998 with the arrival of Cathay Pacific Flight 889 (nicknamed Polar 1) from New York-JFK. The first week of operations was disrupted by a sequence of IT failures based around software bugs in the Flight Information Display System. This in turn disrupted baggage handling and airbridge allocation. But by the end of the first week these challenges,and other teething problems,were largely resolved,and the new airport was exceeding Kai Tak performance measures. The exception was the new airport's main air cargo terminal built and operated by HACTL as a franchisee. The terminal faced major difficulties in coming into operation on 6 July,such that it closed again on 7 July to enable the franchisee to implement a major recovery programme. The disruption this caused to air cargo operations at the new airport led the government to temporarily reactivate Kai Tak's cargo terminal for a month. During this period,the airport was given temporary ICAO code VHHX.[citation needed]
The Kai Tak passenger terminal later housed government offices,automobile dealerships and showrooms,gaming arcades,a mall,a go-kart racecourse,a bowling alley,a snooker hall,a mini-golf range and other recreational facilities. In the mid-2000s,the passenger terminal and hangars were demolished. Many aviation enthusiasts were upset at the demise of Kai Tak because of the unique runway 13 approach. As private aviation was no longer allowed at Chek Lap Kok (having moved to Sek Kong Airfield),some enthusiasts had lobbied to keep about 1km (0.62mi) of the Kai Tak runway for general aviation,but the suggestion was rejected as the Government had planned to build a new cruise terminal at Kai Tak.[25]
BMW used to test its hydrogen cars on the former Kai Tak apron area,[26] while a golf course was set up at the end of Runway 31.[citation needed]
Operations
Airport forecourtDeparture hall of Kai Tak Airport.
Terminals and facilities
The Kai Tak airport consisted of a linear passenger terminal building with a car park attached at the rear. There were eight boarding gates attached to the terminal building.[27]
A freight terminal was located on the south side of the east apron and diagonally from the passenger terminal building. Due to the limited space,the fuel tank farm was located between the passenger terminal and HAECO maintenance hangar.[citation needed]
Cathay Pacific,which operated a mixed Airbus,Boeing and some Lockheed all-wide-body fleet of one hundred aircraft,providing scheduled services to the rest of Asia,Australia,New Zealand,the Middle East,Europe,South Africa and North America.
Layout of Kai Tak Airport prior to its 1998 closure.An Air FranceBoeing 747-400 passing above the very crowded Kowloon City during its approach and landing. A Cathay PacificBoeing 777-200 (B-HNC) on final approach to Kai Tak runway 13,overflying Kowloon at low altitude.A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-300 landing at Kai Tak Airport runway 13."Checkerboard Hill",which was a major navigational aid for the Runway 13 approach,as seen from Kowloon Tsai Park.
The landing approach for planes using runway 13 at Kai Tak was considered spectacular and was infamous,not just amongst aviation enthusiasts but amongst the general public as well. Flight sim charts,which are based on the real charts used on the airport,give an outline on the procedures used on approach into Kai Tak Airport.[28]
Checkerboard approach
The Checkerboard approach (also spelled as Chequerboard approach) initially begins to the south-west of the airport,with aircraft flying westbound at a minimum altitude of 6000feet. At this beginning stage of the approach,the aircraft should be passing above Cheung Chau –a small island just off Lantau Island. After that,the aircraft was required to proceed up to "Point Golf",which was on the south side of Lantau Island and directly south of the current Chek Lap Kok Airport. Approaching aircraft then had to make a right-hand U-turn in order to intercept the localiser for the Runway 13 IGS,which generally happened above the current Chek Lap Kok Airport site. The IGS (abbreviation of Instrument Guidance System) was effectively a localizer type directional aid,which was offset from the runway heading by 47°,which aided aircraft by guiding them via radio signals,much like an instrument landing system. At roughly 2500feet,the autopilot was disconnected,and the rest of the approach was flown manually. The aircraft then descended below 1000feet and shortly afterwards reached Kowloon Tsai Park and its small hill (Checkerboard Hill). Upon reaching the small hill above Kowloon Tsai Park,which was painted with a large "aviation orange" and white checkerboard (22°20′06″N114°11′04″E / 22.33500°N 114.18444°E / 22.33500;114.18444 (Checkerboard Hill)),used as a visual reference point on the final approach (in addition to the middle marker on the Instrument Guidance System),the pilot needed to make a 47°visual right turn to line up with the runway and complete the final leg. The aircraft would be just 2nautical miles (3.7km) from touchdown,at a height of less than 1,000 feet (300m) when the turn was made. Typically the plane would enter the final right turn at a height of about 650 feet (200m) and exit it at a height of 140 feet (43m) to line up with the runway. That demanding manoeuvre became known in the aviation community as the "Hong Kong Turn" or the "Checkerboard Turn". For many airline passengers on planes approaching and landing on Runway 13 at Kai Tak Airport,it became referred to as the "Kai Tak Heart Attack",because they were often frightened to be turning at such a close proximity to the ground,which,at less than 150ft,or 45 metres,was generally less than even the Boeing 767's wingspan,which is considered a medium-size airliner. The turn was so low that passengers could see television sets running in people's residences near the airport.[29]
Handling the runway 13 approach was difficult enough with normal crosswinds because,even if the wind direction was constant,it was changing relative to the aircraft as the plane made the 47°visual right turn,meaning that what would be a headwind heading directly east on the IGS would become a crosswind and begin to push the aircraft over and off the runway alignment without correction. The landing would become even more challenging when crosswinds from the north-east were strong and gusty during typhoons. The mountain range north-east of the airport also made the wind vary greatly in both speed and direction. Watching large aircraft banking at low altitudes and taking big crab angles during their final approaches was popular with plane spotters. Despite the difficulty,the runway 13 approach was used most of the time due to the prevailing wind direction in Hong Kong.[citation needed]
Because of the turn required during final approach,ILS was not available for runway 13 and landings had to follow a visual approach. This made the approach unusable in low visibility conditions.[citation needed]
Stonecutters' Approach
Alongside the Chequerboard approach,there was a lesser known approach into Kai Tak that led aircraft over the Stonecutters' NDB at a heading of 040 and led into a ~90°turn to line up on Runway 13. This approach was used extremely infrequently,since the Chequerboard approach had a localiser and glide slope to work with,and NDBs are very rarely used in commercial aviation today. It generally can be assumed this approach was used when the localiser and glide slope were offline for maintenance.[citation needed]
Runway 13 departure
Runway 13 was the preferred departure runway for heavy aircraft due to the clear departure path,opposite that of the runway 31 departure. Heavy aircraft on departure using runway 13 would often need nearly the entire length of the runway,particularly during summer days due to the air temperature.[citation needed]
Runway 31 arrival
Runway 31 approaches and landings were similar to other airports in which ILS was available. Runway 31 is the reciprocal of 13,ie. it occupied the same physical space,but denoted a runway facing the inverse direction,a northwesterly heading of about 310°,as opposed to about 130°for runway 13. The approach path towards the runway from the southeast passed within 300 metres (980ft) of Heng Fa Chuen on Hong Kong Island.[citation needed]
Runway 31 was also used for landing early in the morning for noise abatement.[citation needed]
Runway 31 departure
When lined up for takeoff on runway 31,a range of hills including 1,500 feet (460m)Beacon Hill were directly in front of the aircraft. The pilots had to make a sharp 65-degree left turn soon after takeoff to avoid the hills (i.e. the reverse of a Runway 13 landing). If a runway change occurred due to wind change from runway 13 departures to runway 31 departures,planes that were loaded to maximum payload for runway 13 departures had to return to the terminal to offload some goods to provide enough climbing clearance over buildings during a runway 31 departure.[citation needed]
The Hong Kong Aviation Club formerly held most of its activities at Kai Tak,[30] where it had hangars and other facilities.[31]
The club moved most of its aircraft to Shek Kong Airfield in 1994 after the hours for general aviation at Kai Tak were sharply reduced,to two hours per morning,as of 1 July that year.[30] Kai Tak closed to fixed-wing traffic in 1998.[31] The club ended its helicopter activities at Kai Tak on 9 July 2017.[32] The Kai Tak location,which it was able to use all days of the week,meant that helicopter training took less time compared to fixed-wing training,as usage at Shek Kong is restricted to weekends.[33]
Incidents and accidents
China Airlines Flight 605 crashed into Victoria Harbour after it failed to stop on the runway during a typhoon.
Many planes crashed at Kai Tak due to poor weather and hard approaches:
On 11 March 1951,a Pacific Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashed after takeoff into the hills between Mount Butler and Mount Parker on Hong Kong Island. The captain of the aircraft allegedly failed to execute the turn left operation after departure. 24 were killed.[38]
On 9 April 1951,a Siamese Airways Douglas DC-3 lost control on its turn while attempting a night-time visual approach. The captain allegedly allowed the aircraft to lose speed while attempting to turn quickly. 16 were killed.[39]
On 19 April 1961,a U.S. military Douglas DC-3 (C-47 Skytrain) bound for Formosa crashed into Mount Parker after takeoff. Of the 16 on board,15 were killed.[40][35]
On 30 June 1967,a Thai Airways InternationalSud Aviation SE-210 Caravelle IIIcrashed into Victoria Harbour while trying to land during a torrential rainstorm. A typhoon was some 150 miles (240km) NW of Hong Kong,but the colony was not closed down in preparation of the typhoon. The co-pilot,who was flying the aircraft and unable to see the runway due to the heavy rain,allegedly made an abrupt heading change,causing the aircraft to enter a high rate of descent and crash into the harbour to the right of the runway. The starboard wing snapped off on impact,and the aircraft rolled onto its starboard side,halving the number of escape routes. 24 were killed,but only 23 bodies were recovered at the scene. The final body was recovered after it was seen floating in the harbour six weeks later.[42]
On 2 September 1977,a Transmeridian Air CargoCanadair CL-44 lost control and crashed into the Tathong Channel following a fire shortly after takeoff. The no. 4 engine was said to have failed,causing an internal fire in the engine and the aircraft fuel system that eventually resulted in a massive external fire. Four were killed.[43][44]
On 9 March 1978,[45]China Airlines Flight 831 was hijacked. The hijacker (the flight engineer of the flight) demanded to be taken to Mainland China (the airline was of the Republic of China on Taiwan,not the People's Republic of China,which controlled the mainland). The hijack lasted less than a day,and the hijacker was killed.[46]
On 18 October 1983,a LufthansaBoeing 747 freighter abandoned takeoff after engine no. 2 malfunctioned,probably at speed exceeding V1 (the takeoff/abort decision point). The aircraft overran the runway onto soft ground and sustained severe damage. The three crew on board suffered minor injuries.[47]
On 31 August 1988,the right outboard flap of a CAAC AirlinesHawker Siddeley Trident operating Flight 301 hit approach lights of runway 31 while landing under rain and fog. The right main landing gear then struck a lip and collapsed,causing the aircraft to run off the runway and slip into the harbour. 7 were killed.[48]
On 4 November 1993,a China AirlinesBoeing 747-400,operating Flight 605,overran the runway while landing amid gale-force winds during a typhoon. Despite the plane's unstable approach,the captain did not go around. The aircraft touched down more than 2/3 down the runway and was unable to stop before the runway ended.[49] Although the aircraft ended up submerged beyond the end of the runway,there were only 23 minor injuries amongst the 396 passengers and crew.
On 23 September 1994,a Heavylift Cargo AirlinesLockheed L-100-30 Hercules lost control shortly after takeoff from runway 13. The pitch control system of one of its propellers was said to have failed. Six were killed.[50]
Redevelopment
Aerial view of the Kai Tak Development site in 2017Kai Ching Estate is the first housing estate to be built on the old Kai Tak Airport site. It is located on the north eastern side of the site,where the maintenance area was located.Kai Tak Runway Park with its former runway number:13
In October 1998,the Government drafted a plan for the Kai Tak Airport site,involving the reclamation of 219 hectares (540 acres) of land. After receiving many objections,the Government scaled down the reclamation to 166 hectares (410 acres) in June 1999. The Territorial Development Department commenced a new study on the development of the area in November 1999,entitled "Feasibility Studies on the Revised Southeast Kowloon Development Plan",and a new public consultation exercise was conducted in May 2000,resulting in the land reclamation being further scaled down to 133 hectares (330 acres). The new plans based on the feasibility studies were passed by the chief executive in July 2002.[51] There were plans for the site of Kai Tak to be used for housing development,which was once projected to house around 240,000–340,000 residents. Due to calls from the public to protect the harbour and participate more deeply in future town planning,the scale and plan of the project were yet to be decided. There were also plans for a railway station and maintenance centre in the proposed plan for the Sha Tin to Central Link.
There were also proposals to dredge the runway to form several islands for housing,to build a terminal capable of accommodating cruise ships the size of Queen Mary 2,and more recently,to house the Hong Kong Sports Institute,as well as several stadiums,in the case that the institute was forced to move so that the equestrian events of the 2008 Summer Olympics could be held at its present site in Sha Tin.
On 9 January 2004,the Court of Final Appeal ruled that no reclamation plan for Victoria Harbour could be introduced unless it passed an "overriding public interest" test.[52] Subsequently,the Government abandoned these plans.
Kai Tak Planning Review
The Government set up a "Kai Tak Planning Review" in July 2004 for further public consultation.[53] A number of plans were presented.
June 2006 blueprint
A new plan for the redevelopment of Kai Tak was issued by the government in June 2006. Under these proposals,hotels would be scattered throughout the 328-hectare (810-acre) site,and flats aimed at housing 86,000 new residents were proposed.
Other features of the plan included two cruise terminals and a large stadium.
October 2006 blueprint
The Planning Department unveiled a major reworking of its plans for the old Kai Tak airport site on 17 October 2006,containing "a basket of small measures designed to answer a bevy of concerns raised by the public".[54] The revised blueprint will also extend several "green corridors" from the main central park into the surrounding neighbourhoods of Kowloon City,Kowloon Bay and Ma Tau Kok.
The following features are proposed in the revised plan:
two cruise terminals,with a third terminal to be added if the need arises
a luxury hotel complex near the cruise terminals—the complex would sit about seven stories high,with hotel rooms atop commercial or tourist-related spaces
an eight-station monorail linking the tourist hub with Kwun Tong
a large stadium
a central park to provide green space
a 200-metre (660ft) high public viewing tower near the tip of the runway
hotel spaces are to be centralised near the end of the runway,and will face into the harbour towards Central
a third cruise terminal could be added at the foot of the hotel cluster if the need arises
a second row of luxury residential spaces is to be added facing Kwun Tong,built on an elevated terrace or platform to preserve a view of the harbour
The government has promised that:
the total amount of housing and hotel space will remain the same as proposed in June 2006
plot ratios will be the same as before
the total commercial space on the site will also remain about the same
The new bridge proposed by the government,joining the planned hotel district at the end of the runway with Kwun Tong,could be a potential source of controversy. Under the Protection of the Harbour Ordinance,no harbour reclamation can take place unless the Government can demonstrate to the courts an "overriding public need".[55]
The new Kai Tak blueprint was presented to the Legislative Council on 24 October 2006 after review by the Town Planning Board.
Panorama of the former Kai Tak Airport Site (2010)
2011 onwards
In 2011,with most of the former Kai Tak area still abandoned,ideas were floated to develop the area for commercial property,citing shortages of office space and rising property costs.[56] In June 2013,the Kai Tak Cruise Terminal was opened on the tip of the former runway.[57][58] Two public housing estates opened on the northeast area of the site in 2013,providing over 13,000 new rental flats. As of 2018,the public estates have been joined by some private residential developments,now nearing completion.[citation needed][needs update]
A small park and new hospital (Hong Kong Children's Hospital) have also opened which had 2,400 rooms,37 operating theatres,a neuroscience centre,an oncology centre specialist,outpatient clinics with a capacity of over 1.4 million annual attendances and a community health centre.[59]
Construction of the Kai Tak Sports Park on the former airport land commenced in April 2019.[61] Once completed,Kai Tak Sports Park will be the largest sports venue in Hong Kong and will include a 50,000 seat Main Stadium,an Indoor Sports Center,a Public Sports Ground and multiple open spaces.[62]
Kai Tak Sky Garden,a massive elevated garden,opened in May 2021. It occupies part of the former runway and apron.[63]
Hong Kong has a highly developed transport network, encompassing both public and private transport. Based on Hong Kong Government's Travel Characteristics Survey, over 90% of daily journeys are on public transport, the highest rate in the world. However, in 2014 the Transport Advisory Committee, which advises the Government on transportation issues, issued a report on the much-worsened congestion problem in Hong Kong and pointed at the excessive growth of private cars during the past 10–15 years.
Hong Kong International Airport is an international airport located on the island of Chek Lap Kok in western Hong Kong. The airport is also referred to as Chek Lap Kok International Airport or Chek Lap Kok Airport, to distinguish it from its predecessor, the former Kai Tak Airport.
Kowloon Bay is a bay within Victoria Harbour and an neighbourhood within Kowloon, Hong Kong.
China Airlines Flight 642 was a flight that crashed at Hong Kong International Airport on 22 August 1999. It was operating from Bangkok to Taipei with a stopover in Hong Kong.
Chek Lap Kok is an island in the western waters of Hong Kong's New Territories. Unlike the smaller Lam Chau, it was only partially leveled when it was assimilated via land reclamation into the 12.48 square kilometres (4.82 sq mi) island for the current Hong Kong International Airport, which opened for commercial aviation in 1998. The airport is popularly referred to as Chek Lap Kok Airport to distinguish it from the former Hong Kong International Airport, now commonly known as Kai Tak Airport (啟德機場).
RAF Kai Tak was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Hong Kong, based at Kai Tak Airport. It was opened in 1927 and used for seaplanes. The RAF flight operated a few land based aircraft as well as having spare aircraft for naval units.
The Hong Kong Government Flying Service (HKGFS) is a disciplined unit and paramilitary flying organisation of the Government of Hong Kong.
The Aviation history of Hong Kong began in Sha Tin on 18 March 1911, when Belgian pilot Charles den Born successfully took off on an aeroplane retrospectively named Spirit of Sha Tin. A replica of the aircraft is hung at the new Chep Lap Kok airport above the arrivals hall.
The Airport Core Programme was a series of infrastructure projects centred on the new Hong Kong International Airport during the early 1990s. The programme was part of the Port and Airport Development Strategy, commonly known as the Rose Garden Project.
The Hong Kong Aviation Club is an aviation club which offers training on both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter to Private Pilot Licence Level. It was established in 1982 upon the amalgamation of the Hong Kong Flying Club, the Aero Club of Hong Kong and the Far East Flying Training School.
British Asia Airways Limited was a subsidiary of British Airways formed on 20 January 1993, based in Taiwan, to operate between London and Taipei via Hong Kong.
China Airlines Flight 605 was a daily non-stop flight departing from Taipei at 6:30 a.m. and arriving at Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong at 7:00 a.m. local time. On November 4, 1993, the plane went off the runway and overran while landing during a storm. It was the first hull loss of a Boeing 747-400.
Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited, commonly known as Hactl, is one of the leading air cargo terminal operators in the world. Located at Hong Kong International Airport, it handled a total throughput of 1.65 million tonnes of cargo in 2018.
Cathay Pacific City, often referred as Cathay City, is the headquarters of Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's flag-carrying airline. It is located at Hong Kong International Airport, on the south side.
The reclamation of land from the ocean has long been used in mountainous Hong Kong to expand the limited supply of usable land with a total of around 60 square kilometres of land created by 1996. The first reclamations can be traced back to the early Western Han dynasty, when beaches were turned into fields for salt production. Major land reclamation projects have been conducted since the mid-19th century.
Hong Kong Airport Services Limited(HAS) was founded in 1995 and began operations in July 1998 with the opening of Hong Kong International Airport. It employs approximately 3,100 people and owns 3,000 ground-support equipment and vehicles. It is owned by Cathay Pacific, with offices located at Cathay City, Cathay House, Passenger Terminal Building and Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.
CAAC Flight 301, a Hawker Siddeley Trident operated by CAAC Guangzhou Regional Administration from Guangzhou Baiyun to Hong Kong Kai Tak, ran off the runway in Hong Kong on 31 August 1988 after clipping approach lights. This was the first accident of China Southern Airlines since the split of CAAC Airlines from 1 July 1988. Six crew members and one passenger perished in the accident. The crash shut down Kai Tak Airport for more than six hours after the accident.
Aircraft bridges, including taxiway bridges and runway bridges, bring aircraft traffic over motorways, railways, and waterways.
The Kai Tak Development, abbreviated as "KTD" and formerly called South East Kowloon Development (東南九龍發展計劃), refers to the redevelopment of the former Kai Tak Airport site in Kai Tak, Kowloon, Hong Kong.
Checkerboard Hill, also known as Kowloon Tsai Hill (九龍仔山) and Tak Mee Mountain (德美山), is a small hill in the northern part of the Kowloon peninsula in Hong Kong. Standing at 98 metres (322 ft) tall, Checkerboard Hill is located next to Kowloon Tsai Park and the Lok Fu Service Reservoir Rest Garden (樂富配水庫休憩花園) of Lok Fu Park (樂富公園), and it is not far from Lion Rock Country Park.
1 2 3 Delang, Claudio O.; Ng, Yan (2009). "Urban regeneration and heritage preservation with public participation: the case of the Kai Tak runway in Hong Kong". The Open Geography Journal. 2 (2): 35–64. doi:10.2174/1874453200902010035 (inactive 7 February 2024). S2CID33781764.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of February 2024 (link)
↑ "Full runway in use today". South China Morning Post. 31 December 1975. p.5.
↑ Steven K. Bailey (2009). Exploring Hong Kong: A Visitor's Guide to Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. ThingsAsian Press. p.136. ISBN978-1934159163.
↑ "High-flyers have licence to thrill". South China Morning Post. 26 June 2010. Archived from the original on 21 April 2018. Retrieved 21 April 2018. For anyone who has ever dreamt of flying, the first step to getting your wings is to join the Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC), the city's only flight training centre.[...]The Shek Kong Airfield is used by the People's Liberation Army during the week, with permission given to the club to use it during weekends.
↑ "PAL tragedy: Manila officials here on investigations". South China Morning Post. 28 January 1947. p.7.
1 2 "Survivor's condition "slightly improved"". South China Morning Post. 21 April 1961. p.1.
↑ "Sports park construction starts". Hong Kong's Information Services Department (in Chinese (Hong Kong)). Archived from the original on 25 September 2021. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
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