Air Traffic Management Plan for The Pearl River Delta (PRD) Region
CAD has been maintaining close liaison with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Macao Special Administrative Region (AACM) through the Tripartite Working Group (TWG) to discuss the phased implementation of enhancement measures as stipulated in the PRD Region Air Traffic Management Planning and Implementation Plan (the Plan).
As a further step in setting objectives for the future development of air navigation services and airspace in the region, the Director-General of Civil Aviation and Director-General of CAAC Air Traffic Management Bureau (ATMB) signed a joint statement on supporting the sustainable development of air navigation services and airspace in the PRD region on 19 May 2017. In the statement, it was stated that in accordance with the National 13th Five-Year Plan's goal to construct a cluster of world-class airports in the PRD, both sides would make the utmost effort to help take forward the development plans for the five major airports in the region and to enable the 3RS at HKIA to progressively achieve the target runway capacity of 102 air traffic movements per hour in the long term; and that seizing the opportunities of the development plan for a city cluster in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area, both sides would define the respective functions and positioning of each airport in the region in accordance with their unique nature and strength, thereby enhancing the transport competitiveness for the whole PRD region.
On 13 July 2017, CAD, CAAC ATMB and AACM entered into a Memorandum of Co-operation (MoC) to further improve the efficiency of air traffic management in the PRD region. The MoC signified the consensual agreement on: (a) enhancing the regular and emergency exchange and co-ordination mechanism on air traffic flow management to lift operational efficiency of flights; (b) promoting automated work processes on flight co-ordination; and (c) initiating the modelling and simulation of the airspace and air traffic in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Bay Area by using advanced technology to provide reliable, precise and detailed analysis for planning and formulating air traffic management procedures and measures.
Looking ahead, CAD will continue to follow up the work plan with ATMB and AACM in respect of PRD airspace optimisation, airspace capacity enhancement and improvement in air traffic flow management in accordance with the framework of the Plan. These initiatives would help achieve the ultimate target runway capacity of 102 air traffic movements per hour under the 3RS operation at HKIA, accomplish greater synergy in the Bay Area airspace and create an airport economic belt with international influence.
