HKIA chief confident of continued growth

Dermot Davitt

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The Pearl River Delta's emergence as a powerhouse economy will underpin growth at the Asian hub airport, says Hong Kong International airport CEO Dr David Pang

The emergence of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region as an economic force will be a defining factor in Hong Kong International airport?s (HKIA) development, CEO Dr David Pang has told RavenFox.com. Located at the mouth of the PRD, Hong Kong is well placed to capitalise on the surging demand for air travel sparked by the region's fast expanding economy.

?The PRD market is our biggest opportunity, one that remains to be fully tapped and exploited,? said Pang. ?With a population of 48m people, the PRD is among the fastest growing economies of the world and is an engine of economic growth of the region. The economy of the region has grown at a double-digit rate in the past decade, generating a huge demand for air passenger and cargo traffic.?

But, he warned, HKIA faces strong competition from mainland Chinese airports. ?There are five airports operating in the PRD and unavoidably there is a market overlap. Many of our mainland counterparts are expanding their international air network to complement an extensive domestic network, enhancing their competitiveness.? Although HKIA's share of the market is dropping, he added, the strength of the economy would guarantee continued growth.

HKIA's attempts to facilitate travel from the region to the airport with ?cross-boundary? coach and ferry services would help protect the airport's market share, said Pang. HKIA's commercial development will be spearheaded by the new SkyPlaza development. SkyPlaza will host the airport's second terminal, including 35,000sq m (376,600sq ft) of retail and entertainment.