The Macau Ferry Terminal heliport’s expansion will boost its capacity by 80% to 55,200 movements a year, Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Stephen Ip says.

He told lawmakers today an additional helipad and a connecting taxiway will be added to meet forecast demand for cross-boundary helicopter services up to 2015. The right to expand and operate the heliport will be granted through a tenancy agreement, which will last 18 years from July.

Mr Ip said the tenancy concerns the expansion and operation of the heliport rather than the provision of helicopter services. The main considerations in assessing the bids included the bidders’ proposals on construction and operation and the level of rental offered to the Government.

Demand and supply of services as well as prevailing market conditions will affect the future volume of helicopter passengers and the fares and concessions offered to different types of passengers, the secretary said.

Open for common use
According to the tenancy agreement, the heliport will be open for common use by all helicopter service operators on a fair and equal basis. The charges the heliport levies on operators will be non-discriminatory and subject to Civil Aviation Department approval.

The consultancy study on helicopter traffic demand and heliport development in Hong Kong in 2002 projects that the number of cross-boundary passenger trips will grow at an average of 9.4% a year from 2001 to 2020.

To help the long-term development of cross-boundary helicopter services, Mr Ip said a site in Kai Tak has been reserved for use as a second cross-boundary heliport.

[Source : news.gov.hk]