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Following is the transcript of a media session given by the Chief Executive, Mr Tung Chee Hwa, after visiting the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok this (Monday) morning:

Mr Tung: Since two weeks ago, my colleagues and I have been following the events and activities at the new airport with a great deal of anxiety as well as with a great deal of attention because the key issue is really to get the airport going as soon as possible and as fast as possible. And to the extent that the government can be of any assistance, we are certainly happy to do our best to provide that. The fact is that, on the passenger side, under the Airport Authority, tremendous progress has been made. Except for the first and second day, progress has been made rather rapidly and by the eighth day, the standard of the facilities on the passenger side has already surpassed that of the Kai Tak Airport. And I know the Airport Authority is continuing with its efforts to continue to improve the standard here at this new airport.

I've been here today with Anson, and with Chairman Wong to come and see for myself how well the passenger side has been going and I know the Airport Authority and all the executives and everybody involved in the operation have been working very, very hard and the improvement is as a result of their tremendous efforts. There are now 480 flights a day which are landing and taking off, handling over 90,000 passengers every day. Of course, in some areas of design or the software side of the computer, there may be needs for further improvements and I believe under the consideration that the whole airport will not be affected, the Airport Authority will continue to make this improvement so that the airport will be even better in the future.

The fact is that all our anxiety or concern are really on the cargo side. The volume of cargo we export and import through our airport is about one per cent of the total export and import in terms of volume. And in terms of value that one per cent becomes 20 per cent and that it is really important for us to get on with the recovery of the air cargo side because it is damaging our economy.

We are obviously very concerned about the damages that are now being suffered by those who use the air facilities as well as by those involved in commerce and industry in Hong Kong. And last week I had the opportunity to discuss and listen to them, their views and their difficulties, and particularly those in the medium, small sized industries. We are now as a government looking at as to how we can help them within what the government can do, to help them to minimise the pain they have.

This morning, together with Mrs Chan and Mr Wong, we have also had the opportunity to look at the No. 1 Super Terminal and also at the AAT to see how they are operating. AAT, a new comer to Hong Kong handling about 15 per cent of the volume. Of course it has some teething problems too, but I think on the whole, for a new comer, the result is quite satisfactory. And they have in fact helped to alleviate some of the pain we are suffering today.

Insofar as HACTL is concerned, the people in HACTL at all levels are working very hard to fix the difficulties they have including the software of the computer systems. They have every confidence that the recovery will be in accordance with the original plan. I was told that as of yesterday they reached their original target of providing 50 per cent capacity and that they are very confident that they will progressively meet their target which they have set for themselves so that by middle of August everything will be moving. All the cargo import and export, 100 per cent of it, can be handled.

Of course, resolving the air cargo problem, basically we have to rely on ourselves because the volume is really very big but as a government and as AA, we always continue to look for alternatives in case of the unexpected. Last week the SAR Government and Central Government were able to come out with a plan to provide those who want to use another alternative to use the airport at Huangtian. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Central Government for their support, for their care, at a time when we most want it. I also want to take this opportunity to thank Macau Airport for providing their assistance.

The beginning of the use of the new airport, all of us have a great deal of expectation because this new airport is as a result of many years of hard work by all of us and we all want this new airport to provide the best of services in every respect. Unfortunately a number of problems had surfaced and I know that there are disappointments within our community. Today I have the opportunity to talk to people at all levels who work in the airport and I know that over the last two weeks they had really been working very hard, trying to solve all the problems at the new airport. I think we need to understand that they really are doing their very best, taking on enormous workload as well as pressure from the public. At this moment what they need and what we must give them is support and encouragement. It is not the time to point fingers at different people. Because it doesn't really help the situation. We really need to get the airport going first. And in this way we can show the world what Hong Kong really can do together.

I know that we all want to know what really happened and how all these difficulties had given rise and how we can avoid that in the future. And because of this, our intention is to organise a special commission with enough, with all the power it needs, with all the credibility it needs, to have an independent enquiry so that this issue can be totally investigated and explained to me, to my colleagues, as well as to people at large.

It is a difficult time now and I think it is important for all those who are concerned with the work within the airport to work together particularly to work together with those who are engaged in export and import because they are the ones who really now need a great deal of help. I have every confidence that the Hong Kong new airport after all the improvements we are making, in the not too distant future, in fact in the very, very near future, will be recognised internationally as one of the best airports in the world and an airport which all of us in Hong Kong can feel very proud of. Thank you very much.

Reporter: How much of the problem were you actually able to see today? As you said many of the problems that happened before have been solved...?

Mr Tung: I think that you can never spend enough time in one place to see all you would like to see. But within the time frame, actually we overstayed by almost forty minutes already, we have seen as much as we can and I go away with a degree of confidence that in a not too distant future, Hong Kong airport will be recognised internationally as one of the best in the world.

Reporter: When will the special commission be set up, who will head it and why you've waited two weeks to come to the new airport?

Mr Tung: The commission, the members of the commission and the terms of reference will all be announced during the course of this week. I have not come to the airport because my colleague Mrs Chan has been obviously very involved, so as other senior colleagues, Secretary Mr Ip Shu-kwan. But I have stayed in constant touch with Mrs Chan, Donald, and with all the senior colleagues in the government, as well as Mr Wong and with HACTL and so on and so forth. So although I have not been here, I feel I understand the situation well. What I wanted to do is to make sure that we solve the problems as quickly as possible. And I think we are well on the way now. Thank you very much.

End/Monday, July 20, 1998

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Transcript of Chief Executive at new airport (Chinese part)