Hong Kong airport geared up to another real challenge

(HONG KONG, 1 January 2000) - Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is ready to meet the next big test of the Year 2000 transition as thousands of passengers begin to use the airport after daybreak, the Airport Authority (AA) said.

AA Acting Airport Management Director Howard Eng said the AA is maintaining its high standards of service. Some 25 flights are scheduled to arrive or depart from HKIA between 0600 hrs and 1000 hrs.

The AA's business partners have completed the health checks of their key operational systems, which remain unaffected by the Y2K transition. The checked systems include those of Hong Kong Cargo Terminals Ltd (HACTL), ramp handlers, aircraft caterers and air carriers.

Airlines will report their systems' status to the AA again shortly after midnight Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) -- the international time for the millennium rollover -- which is 0800 hrs in Hong Kong. This is because some aviation industry systems synchronise their operations to GMT, or Universal Time Constant (UTC) as it is also called.

During the night, the AA maintained close contact with overseas airports such as Auckland, Sydney and Narita as the millennium approached Hong Kong. HKIA is now sharing details of its rollover experience with airports in the Middle East, Europe and North America.

"HKIA is operating smoothly and we have well-planned contingency measures in place in case problems occur," Mr Eng said. "But there is always a remote possibility that we could still be affected by external factors beyond our control."

He added that passengers should contact their airlines for the latest flight information before they leave for the airport.

Ref. PR-482