air cargo handling facilities. Occupying a total floor area of about 395 000 square metres, the terminal's handling capacity is 3.5 million tonnes of freight a year. The second service provider is Asia Airfreight Terminal Company Limited, whose facilities have a combined handling capacity of about 1.5 million tonnes a year. DHL's 3.5-hectare Central Asia Hub at HKIA could handle more than 35 000 parcels and 40 000 documents per hour. AAHK awarded a franchise to Cathay Pacific Services Limited to operate a new cargo terminal at HKIA in 2008. The 11-hectre Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal with a designed throughput of 2.6 million tonnes a year has been put into full operation in October 2013. In addition, with a total land area of about 2 hectares, Hongkong Post's Air Mail Centre handles 700 000 items of mail every day.
Aircraft Maintenance Services: Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) and China Aircraft Services Limited (CASL) provide both line and base-maintenance services and Pan Asia Pacific Aviation Services Limited (PAPAS) provides line maintenance services.
Line maintenance services include routine servicing of aircraft performed during normal turnaround periods and regularly scheduled layover periods. Base maintenance covers all airframe maintenance services and, for this, HAECO has three hangars with 18 maintenance positions capable of accommodating a wide range of commercial aircraft types, with adjoining support workshops. CASL has a hangar which could accommodate one wide-body and one narrow-body aircraft at the same time with adjoining support workshops.
Air Traffic Control Services: The Air Traffic Control Complex (ATCX), located at the centre of the airfield, is the nerve centre of the entire air traffic control system. Some 450 air traffic controllers and supporting staff work around-the-clock to provide air traffic control services for the safe and efficient flow of aircraft movements within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR). At the Air Traffic Control Tower, controllers provide 24-hour aerodrome control services to aircraft operating at the airport.
A Backup Air Traffic Control Centre/Tower constructed to the north of the ATCX is available for operational use in the event normal services provided in the ATCX are disrupted by unforeseen circumstances.
Replacement of Air Traffic Control System: As the existing air traffic control (ATC) systems have been used for more than 16 years, the capacities and functionalities of the systems will not be able to cope with the projected air traffic growth in Hong Kong. Replacement work for existing ATC systems, including simulators, is in good progress. The new ATC systems have been installed and are undergoing a series of thorough and stringent acceptance tests, as well as safety assessments in accordance with established international aviation safety management standards and procedures. Training for air traffic controllers will commence in early 2015, and the new ATC Centre will be ready for operation after completion of comprehensive system testing and controller training.
Satellite-based Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems: To comply with the Global Implementation Plan, extensive studies and trials on certain CNS/ATM system elements have been conducted by CAD. Currently some CNS/ATM services have been implemented at HKIA to enhance ATC operational efficiency and flight safety. These include:
- Digital-Automatic Terminal Information Service (D-ATIS);
- Digital-Meteorological Information for Aircraft in Flight (D-VOLMET);
- delivery of Pre-Departure Clearance (PDC) over data links;
- Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) and Air Traffic Services Message Handling System (AMHS) operations with Macao and Bangkok;
- Air Traffic Services Inter-facility Data Communication (AIDC) with Sanya and Taipei Area Control Centres (ACCs);
- Advanced Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (A-SMGCS) for enhanced surveillance of aircraft and vehicle movements on the airfield; and
- Arrival Manager (AMAN) System which assist the air traffic controllers in the planning for an optimum landing sequence and more efficient use of airspace have been implemented at HKIA.
In order to derive the most benefit from the new aviation technologies, CAD has taken initiatives to publish a roadmap for the implementation of Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast (ADS-B) within the Hong Kong FIR. CAD commissioned eight ADS-B ground stations for the surveillance for both high-level and low-level flying aircraft and helicopters within the Hong Kong FIR. In addition, an ADS-B data analysis system was developed to monitor and analyse data from ADS-B equipped aircraft, for enhancing the aviation safety within the Hong Kong FIR.
Ground-Based Augmentation System (GBAS) supports an extensive implementation of Performance Based Navigation on more efficient use of airspace. CAD has been working closely with Lands Department in establishing a territory-wide satellite positioning database since 2012 and collaborating with neighbouring States in the Asia and Pacific Regions to assess ionospheric effect on GBAS performance as well as its optimal installation locations.
Collaborative Decision Making (CDM): Collaborative Decision Making (CDM) is a joint government/industry project aiming to enhance efficiency in air traffic operations through real-time information exchange among aviation community stakeholders. CAD has rolled out an Internet CDM service in both desktop PC and mobile versions in July 2013, which was well received by the industry. The platform provide basis for further development and implementation of a local and regional CDM, while AAHK
