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HKIA invests 1b HK dollars for SkyPier development

HONG KONG, Nov. 27 (UNI)

Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) said here Monday that it will invest 1 billion Hong Kong dollars (128.2 million U.S. dollars) to build a permanent cross-boundary ferry terminal - Skypier, and extend the Automated PeopleMover (APM) system to link up the ferry terminal with the passenger terminal buildings.
 According to HKIA, target for completion by 2008, the permanentSkyPier is one of the key projects of SkyCity. It is located on the east side of the existing passenger terminal - Terminal 1, andis adjacent to the second airport hotel, Hong Kong SkyCity Marriott Hotel.
 Constructed with four berths (with capacity for expansion to eight berths), the four-storey SkyPier has a total floor area of 16,000 square meters or eight times the size of the existing ferryterminal. The new SkyPier will also provide passenger check-in andbaggage handling facilities. The custom-designed permanent SkyPierwill have a larger handling capacity and more advanced facilities to support the development of new ferry routes.
 To provide convenient, accessible and comfortable services to passengers APM services will be extended to connect the new ferry terminal with the existing Terminal 1 and soon-to-be opened Terminal 2.
 Chief Executive Officer of Airport Authority David J Pang said at the kick-off ceremony, ‘‘With the close cooperation and strong support from the Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao’s authorities, government officials, airlines and ferry operators, we launched the services of SkyPier three years ago. During the period, the new cross-boundary ferry service has helped HKIA expand its multi-modal transportation network, providing passengers to and from PRD(Pearl River Delta) via HKIA with a seamless and comfortable journey. SkyPier also extends HKIA’s home market into PRD.’’ The existing SkyPier has served 3.7 million passengers since its opening in September 2003. Last year’s passenger figure reached 1.5 million, up more than 40 percent over the year before.
The annual passenger volume is expected to reach 3 million in fiveyears’ time. When the permanent SkyPier begins its service, the passenger handling capacity will be further enhanced helping HKIA maintain its international hub status, Pang said.
 High-speed ferries of SkyPier shuttle transit passengers from five ports in the PRD region - Shenzhen Shekou, Shenzhen Fuyong, Macao, Zhongshan and Humen in Dongguan - to HKIA, almost halving the original traveling time. Last year, SkyPier introduced the world’s first cross-boundary upstream check-in service at Shekou port of Shenzhen, allowing passengers to obtain their boarding passes and check in their luggage at the PRD port, according to HKIA.