Work on third runway to begin 2014

Will follow completion of the Environmental Impact Assessment.

The Hong Kong International Airport’s project to add a third runway to cope with rising passenger traffic should advance further by end of this year, said Stanley Hui, CEO of the Airport Authority.

Hui noted that work on the EIA that began in August 2012 was progressing well and should be completed in some 18 to 20 months.

"Then we will be making funding arrangements, and if all goes well, work on the third runway will start in 2014," he said.

He pointed out that based on the preliminary master plan, the cost of the project is expected to reach HK$136 billion if everything goes according to plan.

HKIA’s passenger volume hit record to 56.5 million last year, while the number of flights rose 5.3% to 352,000, indicating the urgent need for a third runway.