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| Smooth skies ahead after brief turbulence ( 21/05/2003 ) | |||||||||
Mr Hughes-Hallett, who is also chairman of Hong Kong's flagship carrier, Cathay Pacific, anticipated that the travel advisory would be lifted in June. "Hong Kong still maintains its crown as the number one busiest air cargo hub in the world. Presently, two-thirds of our revenue is coming from cargo, and the rest from passenger figures. April cargo throughput at Hong Kong International Airport increased by three per cent over the same period last year," said Mr Hughes-Hallett. "The fact that trade is continuing despite the impact of Sars conveys just how important Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta are to the global business arena. We are confident that Hong Kong's strong position as an international tourist centre and aviation hub will continue. Business travel will soon pick up again, and the tourism industry can launch "stage one" of a re-educating campaign on a global basis to further boost visitor numbers," he added. Mr Hughes-Hallett said that Cathay Pacific had taken extreme measures to ensure passenger safety, including temperature checks before boarding, staff vigilance for ill passengers, total recycling of fresh air in the cabin every five minutes, and increased hygiene measures. "Flying with us is a much safer experience than crossing the road," he said. "We are determined to maintain Hong Kong's strong international network, and to keep Hong Kong flying," said Mr Hughes-Hallett. "There has been a lot of irresponsible reporting from the world media on the subject of Sars. But we have weathered crises in the past which have prepared us very well for this one, and our team has adjusted very fast. I am confident that after this relatively brief period of turbulence, the tourism industry will make a comeback after the summer months." Related links: Cathay Pacific www.cathaypacific.com British Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong www.britcham.com Aeropace Forum Asia http://www.wingsasia.org/asp/home.asp | |||||||||
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