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The Hongkong Report

4. Air Cargo in Hongkong

A Polar Air Cargo Boeing 747-200F on the tarmac Hongkong did always have good business relations with countries all over the world. As the English Crown Colony, Hongkong was the world's gate to mainland China. Especially in the past, a lot of Hongkong companies produced goods in China and delivered them from the Colony's harbours to consumer all over the world.

During the years, Hongkong has become a very important transportation hub. As on the sea, the air cargo was growing very fast, when aviation became popular after the Second World War. Hongkong is the door to China for many firms, but also a very important cargo hub for the whole Asia-Pacific region.

Starting into new superlatives

Hactl's SuperTerminal 1 (Picture: Courtesy of Hongkong Air Cargo Terminal Limited) When the new airport opened in 1998, air cargo started into a new area. Hactl, one of the two cargo handling companies in Hongkong, built up a new air cargo terminal, the so called SuperTerminal 1. It has been designed by the British architect Sir Norman Foster, who also planed the passenger terminal at Hongkong's new airport. Hactl's freight terminal is designed to handle up to 2.6 million tonnes of cargo a year, making it to the largest single air cargo facility in the world. The centre comprises two areas. The main terminal, which can handle up to 2.4 million tonnes a year and the Express Centre with a capacity of another 200'000 tonnes of express cargo a year. Asia Airfreight Terminal does also operate an air cargo terminal with a capacity of 400'000 tonnes a year. So, the total capacity of air cargo for the whole airport is around 3 million tons of cargo per year. And there are possibilities to expand the capacity up to 9 million tons in the future.

The Express Cargo Centre at Hongkong The next step of expanding the cargo area is the construction of a marine cargo terminal on the airport island. With this addition to the service range, manufacturing companies in the Pearl River Delta, the hinterland of Hongkong, will receive scheduled shipping lines to deliver their products for export directly to the airport. This solution is much faster, because the goods don't have to be trucked to the airport from another harbour. The terminal will be operated and managed by Chu Kong Shipping Enterprises, which has been licensed by the Airport Authority at the 1. August 2000.

Air Cargo Forum 2002

Hongkong is the leading cargo hub in the Asia-Pacific region. So, the Airport Authority is actively participating in international organisations, such as the TIACA (The International Air Cargo Association). Hongkong will be the host city of the Air Cargo Forum 2002. Another important event for the cargo-hub in the Southern Pacific.