CAD handles record-high number of flights
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     The Civil Aviation Department (CAD) handled 2 341 flights yesterday (August 24), setting a new single-day record. The Director-General of Civil Aviation, Mr Simon Li, today (August 25) expressed his gratitude to the CAD staff for their dedication to their work during the recent bad weather. With the collaborative efforts of the CAD staff and the aviation industry, the backlog of flights and passengers affected by Tropical Cyclone Hato were cleared in a safe and orderly manner.

     A total of 1 318 flight movements were handled at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The CAD also provided air traffic control services for 1 023 overflights, which do not take off or land at HKIA. According to the Airport Authority Hong Kong, the number of daily passengers handled also reached a record high of 234 238.

     "Basically, all flights affected by Hato were cleared yesterday. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the CAD staff and the aviation industry as a whole, all flights that took off and landed at the HKIA as well as overflights were handled systematically, orderly and safely. The affected travellers were cleared as quickly as possible," Mr Li said.

     "Excluding the impact of adverse weather, the number of flights handled by the CAD during the summer holidays also registered a significant increase. From July 1 to yesterday, the CAD handled about 2 100 flights per day on average, including flight movements at the HKIA and overflights, representing an increase of about 7 per cent when compared with a daily average of about 1 950 flights during the corresponding period a year earlier.

     "Faced with an increasingly heavy workload, our professional and dedicated Air Traffic Control Officers will use the new Air Traffic Management System to handle all flights effectively, ensuring a smooth and orderly air traffic flow within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region as usual," Mr Li added.

Ends/Friday, August 25, 2017
Issued at HKT 19:30

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