Training Manual – Civil Aviation in v2.0 CIVIL AVIATION IN HONG KONG

BACKGROUND

Civil Aviation in Hong Kong should not be confused with introduction to Civil Aviation Department, this topic is merely introducing civilian aspect of aviation operations available in Hong Kong. So putting aside all the military aviation, which is all under People’s Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison (中國人民解放軍駐香港部隊), there are commercial and private flying. Apart from the obvious air transport operations out of Hong Kong International Airport, helicopter operations, recreational aviation for public and the regulatory authorities will be included.

AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS

2. Air Transport Operations are the main source of access for civilians to gain access to, they either travel as passenger from one place to the other, or send and receive mails and parcels from overseas. These operations could be further classified as scheduled flights, charter flights and private flights.

Scheduled Flights

3. Through the years, there are multiple aircraft operators based in Hong Kong, fixed‐wing and rotary‐wing. Here is a list of companies that have been granted the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) in Hong Kong operating fixed‐wing aircrafts. Details can be found in Aircraft Recognition, an individual subject under Leading Class Cadet Training.

4. (香港華民航空) was founded in 1986, is currently the only all‐cargo airline operating out of Hong Kong. Currently it is a joint venture operation between DHL Worldwide Express and Airways.

5. (國泰港龍航空) is the brand operated by Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited. It was founded in 1985 as Dragonair, and in 2006 it became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific after years of competing with one another.

6. Cathay Pacific (國泰航空) was first established back in 1946. It is currently the biggest airline based in Hong Kong, owning over 100 aircrafts operating to over 150 destination in the world.

7. (香港航空) was first founded as CR Airways (中富航空) owned by China Rich Holdings back in 2001 operating helicopter service. In 2006, purchased enough shares to control the airline and changed its name to Hong Kong Airlines.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 8. Hong Kong Air Cargo (香港貨運航空) was under the name of Hong Kong Airlines Cargo Company Limited in 2007, it is a wholly‐owned subsidiary of Hong Kong Airlines. It obtains its AOC in April 2017.

9. Hong Kong Express (香港快運航空) was founded in 2005, later acquired by HNA Group, parent company of Hainan Airlines in 2006. The airline transformed into a Low Cost Carrier in 2013 and renamed to HK Express.

Non‐scheduled Flights

10. Apart from scheduled flights that we can book via travel agent or even online by ourselves, there are charter flights that offer a highly customized flight experience, either for business or leisure travel.

11. The business aviation aspect saw exponential growth in the last few years, multiple operators based in Hong Kong, unlike typical airlines that only provide flight services, they also provide maintenance services and even managed aircrafts on behalf of the private owner. Metrojet, TAG Aviation, Jet Aviation and Hongkong Jet managed over 80% of the fleet in Hong Kong, other operators include Sino Jet, Lilyjet and Gama Aviation.

Government Flights

12. Government Flying Service (政府飛行服務隊) is a department of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, it was formed in 1993 after the disbandment of its predecessor, the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force. It is the only department of the government that have the aerial capability thus offer a range of services from aerial survey, VIP transportation, aerial support for law enforcement units to most importantly Search and Rescue. Details can be found in Government Flying Service, an individual subject under Leading Class Cadet Training.

Base of Operation

13. All the above airlines operated in Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), it is also referred to Chek Lap Kok Airport due to its location situated on a reclaimed land north of Lantau Island. Due to the amount of scheduled flights, general aviation is not normally permitted in HKIA.

14. As of 2017, there are 2 runways available for 4 directions takeoff and landing, north runway and south runway. Here are some of the prominent features:

(i) North Runway, 07L / 25R primarily for landing, it is 3800m long at a standard 60m in width. It is equipped with Category IIIA Precision Approach.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 (ii) South Runway, 07R / 25L primarily for takeoff, it is also 3800m long by 60m wide. It is equipped with Category II Precision Approach.

Passenger Handling Facility (iii) Passenger Terminal Building, also being referred as Terminal 1 from passenger perspective. Featuring 49 frontal gates, from E1 to W71, it also supports 27 remote stands. (iv) North Satellite Concourse, was built in 2012 to catered for medium size aircraft (e.g. A320 / B737), it features 10 frontal gates, from N501 to N510. (v) Midfield Concourse, opened in December 2015, connecting passenger by automated people mover, holds 20 parking bays, D201‐D219,D300. (vi) Sky Pier, a pier to provide inter‐modal transfer service to area and by ferry, it has the capacity to handle 8 million passenger a year.

Maintenance Area (vii) CASL Hangar, China Aircraft Services Limited also provides both line and base maintenance service. (viii) HAECO Hangars, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company provides both line and base maintenance service.

Cargo Area (ix) SuperTerminal 1, operated by Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL) is the single largest multi‐level air cargo terminal in the world, capable of handling up to 3.5 million tonnes of air cargo every year. (x) Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal, commenced operations in early 2013, mainly catered for Cathay related operations, which is about 2.6 million tonnes a year. (xi) AAT Cargo Terminal, operated by Asia Airfreight Terminal Company Limited has a combined handling capacity of about 1.5 million tonnes a year. (xii) Express Cargo Terminal, DHL Worldwide Express handles more than 35,000 parcels and 40,000 documents per hour. (xiii) Hong Kong Business Aviation Centre is the aviation support facility for business aircraft.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 Future Development of HKIA

15. West Apron Expansion was completed in 2015, it has provided 28 additional parking bays for both passenger and freighter aircrafts. It is expected to be further developed into par of Midfield Freighter Apron together with the Three‐Runway System.

16. SKYCITY will be redeveloped from the existing Terminal 2 and the land adjacent to it, it will become a shopping mall incorporating with other tourist attractions, expecting phase 1 to be completed around 2022 to cater for the increase number of visitors from the completion of Hong Kong Border Crossing Facilities.

17. The Third Runway is under development. The current two‐runway system can only handle 420,000 movements per annum (roughly maximum of 68 movements per hour), and IATA consulting estimated by 2030, HKIA will be handling 607,000 annual movements. The proposed Three‐runway system will involve 650 hectares land formation and expected to have the capacity of 102 movements per hour or 620,000 movements annually. Further details will be included in the future notes.

Airport Authority Hong Kong

18. The Provisional Airport Authority was established in 1990, under the Airport Authority Ordinance (Cap. 483) it became the statutory body as Airport Authority Hong Kong in 1995. It is wholly owned by the HKSAR Government and is responsible for the operation and development of HKIA.

19. AAHK is the holder of the first Aerodrome License in HKIA, who is constantly assessed by Airport Standard Division of CAD for its performance. In order to satisfy part of the requirements, in 1997, AAHK established its subsidiary company, the Aviation Security Company Limited (AVSECO), to provide aviation security services.

20. AAHK’s role is almost like a landlord of the airport island, it is also responsible for airfield management, airport operations and planning and infrastructure and development. On the other hand, Government responsible for Air Traffic Control Service, Police, CIQ and Fire Services.

21. (直升機服務公司) established in 1978, offered helicopter charter services in Hong Kong, from sightseeing tours to lifting works.

22. Helicopters (空中快線直升機公司) was founded in 1988 as East Asia Airlines operating between Hong Kong and Macau. Now it has grown into a commercial helicopter operator in the Pearl River Delta

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 Helicopter Landing Sites

23. There are over 170 available helicopter landing sites, comprise of Sheung Wan / Sky Shuttle Heliport and Wanchai Heliport, certain landing sites authorized for use by the Government Flying Service (GFS) and the rest are corporately or privately owned.

24. HKIA has two locations designated as landing / lift off locations for helicopters, apart from casualty evacuation (CASEVAC) or emergency flights, prior permission from CAD and AAHK is required. There are also two helipads within GFS apron which are not available for use by other operators. The two designated locations are:  Junction of Twy H and Twy G1  Junction of Twy K and Twy Z3

25. Sheung Wan / Sky Shuttle Heliport as the name suggested, is located at Sheung Wan on top of the Hong Kong Macau Ferry Terminal, primarily for Sky Shuttle operations. Wanchai Heliport located adjacent to the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre started its operations in 2012, it was evolved from the former Central Helipad and the temporary Wanchai Helipad. Under a shared‐use arrangements, the GFS is responsible for managing the helipad, while Heliservices could pay to use the facility.

GENERAL AVIATION

26. Hong Kong Aviation Club (HKAC) is the sole GA operator in Hong Kong. It was established in 1981 with the amalgamation of the Hong Kong Flying Club, the Aero Club of Hong Kong and the Far East Flying & Technical School.

27. Today the HKAC remains based at Kai Tak which mainly focus on social activities, all the flying operations are out of Shek Kong exclusively for their own members. They carries a few variants of Cessna fixed wing aircraft and mainly Robinson helicopters.

REGULATORY AUTHORITIES

28. Civil Aviation Department is the government responsible for the provision of air traffic control services, certification of Hong Kong registered aircraft, monitoring of airlines on their compliance with bilateral Air Services Agreements, the regulation of general civil aviation activities and overseeing the safety and security of airport operations. The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) is required to ensure the operations of the HKIA comply with the safety and security requirements of CAD in order to obtain an Aerodrome License from CAD for operating the Airport.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 Civil Aviation Department

29. There are seven (7) permanent divisions under the Director‐General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), there are two (2) Deputy Director‐General, one overseeing first four divisions and the other overseeing the other three divisions and the administrative management of various key projects of CAD.

30. Flight Standards & Airworthiness Division is responsible for regulating the operational safety and airworthiness of aircraft registered in Hong Kong. This work involves:  monitoring and inspection of Hong Kong airlines in respect of flight operations policy and standards, flight crew training and aircraft maintenance standards;  approval of maintenance facilities, and issue of certificates of airworthiness;  examination of applicants and issue of licenses for flight crew and maintenance engineers;  registration of aircraft;  managing the mandatory occurrence reporting scheme; and  investigation of aircraft incident and accident.

31. Air Traffic Engineering Services Division is responsible for the planning, co‐ordination, provision and subsequent maintenance / enhancements of the air traffic control (ATC) systems, radar, navigational aids and communication equipment for the HKIA at CLK. The division also responsible for the planning and design of the replacement Air Traffic Control System This work involves :  co‐ordinating the design of CAD facilities with works departments and monitoring their construction and commissioning;  planning and procuring air traffic control facilities and equipment for the HKIA ;  overseeing the installation, testing and commissioning of all Air Traffic Control equipment at the HKIA;  operating the Aeronautical Fixed Telecommunication Network between adjacent Flight Information Regions and provide an Aeronautical Mobile service to aircraft;  overseeing the maintenance, both corrective and preventive, and arranging periodic flight check of all ATC systems;  planning / implementation of system enhancements and software upgrading of the ATC systems with operational experience gained;  planning and coordinating with parties concerned on study, trial and future implementation of the worldwide Communication, Navigation, Surveillance / Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) Systems for Hong Kong;  planning and implementation of computerization of the department to enhance operational efficiency and service quality.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0 32. Airport Standards Division is responsible for the licensing, regulation, inspection and monitoring of safety and security of aeroddromes (including heliports) in Hong Kong. This work involves:  establishing aerodrome licensing standards and the issue of licenses for aerodromes;  establishing and maintaining a system for monitoringg the performance of aerodrome licensees in the areas of aerodrome safety and aviation security;  monitoring the safety procedures and practices in respect oof the operation of the HKIA;  ensuring compliance with the Hong Kong Aviation Security Programme and provisions of the Aviation Security Ordinance (Cap. 494) and Aviation Security Regulation;  enforcing the Hong Kong Airport (Control of Obstructions) Orrdinance (Cap. 301) and subsidiary legislation;  monitoring the carriage of dangerous goods by air through iinspections and keeping up‐to‐date and enforcing the Dangerous Goods (Consignment By Air) (Safety) Ordinance and Regulations (Cap. 384);  enforcing the Air Navigation (Flight Prohibition) Order (Cap. 448E); and  implementing noise mitigating measures and handling aircraft noise complaints.

33. Air Traffic Management Divisioon is responsible for the provision of air traffic control service, flight information service and alerting service within the Hong Kong Flight Information Region (FIR) as assigned by the Internationaal Civil Aviation Organization. The airspace covers a total area of 276,000 km2 extending over the South China Sea. At present, the Division handles more than 370,000 (international and local) aircraft movements which operated into and out of HKIA, and more than 220,000 movements which transited the FIR, including traffic into & out of Macao International Airport every year.

Hong Kong Fligght Information Region (Arrea in Blue)

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0  Air Traffic Services In accordance with international standards and practices, the Hong Kong Air Traffic Management Division provides air traffic control service, flight information service and alerting service to all flights operating in the Hong Kong Flight Information Region to meet the following objectives:  Prevent collisions between aircraft;  Prevent collisions between aircraft on the ground and other obstructions;  Expedite and maintain an orderly flow of air traffic;  Provide advice and information useful for the safe and efficient conduct of flights;  Alert appropriate organizations regarding aircraft in need of search and rescue and co‐ordinate search and rescue mission. Air Traffic Management Division also establishes an Aeronautical Information Management Centre (AIMC). This Centre provides an aeronautical information service to the airline personnel and pilots through publications including Aeronautical Information Publication (AIP), Aeronautical Information Circular (AIC) and Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

 Air Traffic Control Facilities The Control Tower situated at the mid‐field of the HKIA, whereas the Air Traffic Control Centre formed part of the CAD Headquarters outside the restricted area. The Air Traffic Control Centre, equipped with advanced radar displays and modern communication equipment, provides approach control and area control services to traffic in the Hong Kong Flight Information Region. Radar is used as the primary means for displaying traffic. Air Traffic Controllers maintain radio communication with pilots and all instructions are given in English using standard phraseologies and procedures as laid down by the International Civil Aviation Organization. Aerodrome traffic including aircraft taking‐off and landing on the runway as well as aircraft movements on the taxiways and parking aprons are controlled by Aerodrome Control from the Control Tower. A Surface Movement Radar atop the Tower Cab provides accurate aircraft and vehicle position information to assist the controllers under low visibility conditions and night time operations. In the event of aircraft emergencies or an aircraft is in need of search and rescue assistance, the Search & Rescue Co‐ordination Centre in the Air Traffic Control Centre will be activated to co‐ordinate the mission. Radar Simulators and Aerodrome Control Simulator are provided in the CAD Headquarters to facilitate the practical training of all air traffic control personnel.

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0  Aeronautical Communication Services The Telecommunications Unit of the Division is responsible for providing the Aeronautical Fixed and Aeronautical Broadcast Services. These services are supported by staff of the Aeronautical Communications Officer (ACO) Grade. In their course of work, the ACO are required to make use of various equipment in the Aeronautical Network Centre to conduct aeronautical communications with air traffic control centers/airports in the world and broadcast meteorological information essential to safe flight operations.

34. Air Service & Safety Management Division is responsible for the implementation of air services arrangements and aviation policy to enable air services to be operated to meet demand; the development and implementation of safety policy to promote and enhance safety in the aviation system; the setting and enforcement of air navigation services standards in compliance with international civil aviation safety requirements; and for the regulation of air navigation services and operations. This work involves :  facilitating the operation of scheduled services in accordance with air services agreements and arrangements;  regulating non‐scheduled air services and private non‐revenue flights;  providing information to the Air Transport Licensing Authority for consideration of applications by local airlines for licenses to operate scheduled air services;  providing information to the Transport and Housing Bureau for air services negotiations;  coordinating schedules and allocating slots for HKIA in accordance with international and local guidelines;  co‐ordinating the Department’s requirements under the Government’s legislative programme and reviewing and, if necessary, proposing changes to civil aviation legislation;  co‐ordinating the Department’s participation in the activities of international organizations, particularly the ICAO and the Asia‐Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC);  co‐ordinating, in conjunction with the AA, periodic review of air transport demand forecasts and the capacity of the runways to meet demand;  co‐ordinating the supply of air traffic statistics to international organizations;  co‐ordinating the implementation of ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) Continuous Monitoring Approach in Hong Kong and Hong Kong Safety Programme to ensure compliance with the ICAO Annex 19 provisions;  providing administrative support to aircraft accident and serious incident investigations;

4 June 2017 Training Manual – Civil Aviation in Hong Kong v2.0

 regulating air navigation services and operations including incident investigations;  approving air traffic control training courses, issuing air traffic control licences and the associated air traffic control ratings and certificates; and  formulating the departmental training policy, including the establishment of a training and development plan / programme for departmental professional grade staff.

35. Administration Division

36. Finance Division

37. There is one division to be formed when needed is the Accident Investigation Division, which will be responsible for the investigation of aircraft accidents / serious incidents as required by the Civil Aviation (Investigation of Accidents) Regulations. The fundamental purpose of an investigation shall be to determine the circumstances and causes of the aircraft accident / serious incident with a view to the preservation of life and the avoidance of accidents / serious incidents in the future. It is not the purpose of an investigation to apportion blame or liability. The Chief Inspector of Accidents reports to the Chief Executive of the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

SUMMARY

38. Through the chapter, we have first look at where different types of air transport operation based at, Hong Kong International Airport and prominent helicopter landing sites, we also briefly mentioned about future developments of HKIA. Shek Kong was not mentioned due to its military nature. We then touched on the recreational aspect of aviation in Hong Kong. Next we introduced CAD and AAHK. Lastly we looked at the local aviation industry, from day to day scheduled flights to exclusive charter and private flights and lastly government flights.

4 June 2017