The Airport Authority (AA) of Hong Kong is to call for the fi nal tenders from short-listed bidders for construction of the third cargo terminal by end of June,an offi cial said.

Speaking at a conference organised by Philips, Hong Kong Association of Freight Forwarding & Logistics Ltd (HAFFA) chairman, Kelvin Leung said the construction of Hong Kong’s third cargo terminal, which is scheduled for completion by 2011, would enhance theterritory’s competitiveness.

Sun Hung Kai Properties and Cathay Pacifi c Airways are among the potential bidders for the construction of the third cargo terminal. Under AA’s 20-year plan, Hong Kong International Airport will handle 8 million tonnes of cargo and 490,000 aircraft movements per yearby 2025.

As a gateway hub, HKIA will participate in the thriving Chinese mainland aviation market, which the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) predicts will approach 30 million tonnes of cargo by 2020. The feasibility study of constructing the third runway to maximize HKIA’s existing capacity is also under way, but no detailsare available yet.

In order to maintain the competitiveness of the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), and considering proposals for facility expansion to achieve this objective, AA has decided that it is timely for the design and construction of a third air cargo terminal at the airport. AA believes that the global air cargo traffi c will see sustained growth, and that cargo fl ows from Asia, particularly those from the Mainland to the US andEurope, will be the fastest to grow.

As HKIA expands its connections with points in the Mainland and other places, the third air cargo terminal will enable the air cargo industry in Hong Kong to capture a good share of the growing air cargo demand, thereby facilitating and contributing to the sustained growth of the industry. – Wong Joon San