tourism

New security measures in place for flights

All liquids, gels and aerosols in cabin baggage must be carried in containers with a capacity of 100 ml or less.

Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department will impose new security measures for screening liquids, gels and aerosols in cabin baggage for all departing flights from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), effective March 21. The new measures will comply with the new International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) guidelines.

Chief Operations Officer of the Civil Aviation Department Simon Li said ICAO recommended the new screening guidelines for the safety of passengers. The guidelines were formulated after a terrorist plot to smuggle liquid explosives onto aircraft was foiled by the U.K. government in August.

The new security measures for cabin baggage include:

1. All liquids, gels and aerosols in cabin baggage must be carried in containers with a capacity of 100 ml or less. Liquids, gels and aerosols carried in containers larger than 100 ml will not be accepted, even if the container is only partially filled.
2. Containers have to be in a transparent, resealable plastic bag no bigger than 1 liter. The containers must fit comfortably within the plastic bag, which should be completely closed.
3. The plastic bag has to be presented separately from other cabin baggage for visual examination at the screening point. Only one transparent plastic bag per passenger is permitted.
4. Exceptions include medications, baby milk/food and special dietary requirements subject to verification.

Explaining the details of enhanced security restrictions and operational readiness at HKIA, Mr. Li said that as part of the global efforts, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government is committed to complying with the ICAO standards and recommended practices. “All passengers at HKIA will be subject to the new cabin baggage restrictions and are asked to be patient with the enhanced procedures in place,” he said.

Head of Safety, Security, Environmental and Planning Services of the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) John Lamond said the AA is committed to upholding the highest standard of safety and security. “We will continue to work closely with our services provider, i.e. the Aviation Security Company Limited (AVSECO), to ensure sufficient manpower and related facilities are in place to facilitate the implementation of the new security measures directed by the Civil Aviation Department,” he said.

The traveling public may consult the airlines and visit the Web sites of the Civil Aviation Department [www.cad.gov.hk] and AAHK [www.hongkongairport.com] for more information relating to the new security measures.

New airport terminal to open in March

Terminal 2 will start checking in passengers in March.

Terminal 2 (T2) at Hong Kong International Airport will start checking in passengers in March.

Airport Authority Hong Kong said passengers will be accepted once check-in, Customs, Immigration and security screening services are fully tested. The agency is working with airlines to coordinate their progressive move to the T2 facility and to ensure that services are not disrupted. Oasis Hong Kong Airlines and Emirates will be among the first batch of carriers using T2.

Passengers should contact their airlines in March to find out which terminal their check-in desk is located.

Airport Management Director Howard Eng said growing passenger volume is creating demand for new airport services and facilities.

“T2 is part of an expansion program that carefully matches capacity with demand, allowing us to better serve passengers and business partners," he said, adding that customer surveys will be used to monitor the new terminal’s performance.

January arrivals number 2.17 million

Visitor arrivals to Hong Kong numbered almost 2.17 million in January, representing a 1% year-on-year decrease, according to the Hong Kong Tourism Board. The shortfall reflects a drop in arrivals from the Mainland and Taiwan, due to the fact that last year’s Lunar New Year celebrations, which fell in January 2006, attracted high visitor numbers. January 2007 arrivals from the majority of Hong Kong’s other key source markets registered strong gains, with many showing double-digit increases.

Arrivals from the Americas increased 12.5% to reach 133,975.

Hotel occupancy across all categories of hotels in January reached 85%, identical to figures recorded in January 2006. The average achieved hotel room rate across all hotel categories was US$150.89, a 14.4% increase year-on-year.