Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur have each opened a new international airport within days of each other - against the backdrop of falling traffic and the worst Asian economic downturn in recent history.
Malaysia and Hong Kong have collectively invested $26 billion in building the two airports and supporting the infrastructure. Kuala Lumpur's Sepang Airport and the Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok have an initial capacity of 25 million and 35 million passengers, respectively.
The two airports, which will each boast two parallel runways by the end of the year, are major improvements on the existing congested single runway operations at Subang and Kai Tak. The openings come, however, after a 24% year-on-year slump in tourist arrivals into Hong Kong and a 20% drop in Malaysian traffic in the first four months of 1998.
Malaysia rushed the 27 June opening of Sepang to pip the official inauguration of Chek Lap Kok by Chinese president Jiang Zemin by six days - but at a cost. The first two days of operations at Sepang have been blighted by the failure of its integrated total airport management system, resulting in a computer breakdown in check-in, baggage handling and moving walkways systems.
Teething problems at Chek Lap Kok have so far been relatively minor, although the critical test for the new Hong Kong airport was not expected to come until 6 July, when the runways were opened operationally for the first time to scheduled traffic.
The two airports have each been designed for long term growth into the next century, with an ultimate capacity at Chek Lap Kok of 87 million passengers year and 60 million at Sepang.
Kuala Lumpur, however, faces strong competition from Singapore, which has begun building a third passenger terminal, while the construction of airports in China and South Korea will pose a challenge to Hong Kong.
Source: Flight International
