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China's Zhuhai Airport could become Hong Kong's 'fourth runway'

ZHUHAI Airport in southern China wants to act as Hong Kong's "fourth runway" to allow for more flights and increased cooperation, as part of the ambitious Greater Bay Area integration strategy.

Officials and experts said Hong Kong International Airport would be too busy between 2019 and 2020 to launch new flights before its third runway was ready, despite forecasts about soaring air travel demands. The boss of Zhuhai Airport said it was in the best position to complement the city, the SCMP reported.

Part of his plan is to divert freighter aircraft, business jets and some international cargo handling to Zhuhai to free up space for more commercial passenger flights in Hong Kong.

The Greater Bay Area development strategy, aimed at integrating Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong province, capitalises on the economic reinvention of the Pearl River Delta. The hope is that the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau bridge, under construction now, can act as a link between the two airports.

Closer ties would also be financially beneficial to Hong Kong's Airport Authority, which has a 55 per cent stake and a long-term management contract to run Zhuhai Airport.

General manager of the mainland airport, Albert Yau, said Zhuhai's air hub should be factored into the Airport Authority's expansion plans to support Hong Kong's development.

"The key thing is to make Zhuhai Airport the fourth runway before the third runway at Hong Kong airport is complete so there is an extra take-off and landing strip for the city's economy to use," Mr Yau said.

"Once the bridge is complete it's about how we can find synergies in passenger and cargo transfer and make the cake bigger and bigger to compete with Shenzhen and Guangzhou. That's the objective."

Hong Kong's crowded airport handles more than 1,100 commercial flights a day and has almost run out of room for more take-off and landing slots. The business jet sector has suffered significant cuts in the number of slots it can use, which on some days, is whittled down to a handful.

Meanwhile, Zhuhai is building a 260,000 square metre air cargo logistics park at the airport with Hong Kong's international cargo in mind. The development, in two phases, would see Zhuhai build customs clearance and security facilities, ready within two years, to handle international cargo, particularly to and from Hong Kong.

Dedicated roads through the Pearl River Delta would connect to the bridge, meaning moving cargo securely between the two airports would take 70 minutes, Mr Yau said. However, the plan would need to overcome the different customs rules in the two jurisdictions.

Hong Kong handled 4.5 million tonnes of air freight last year, and the government said an estimated 70 per cent originated from the Pearl River Delta or was destined for it.