The Air Services and Safety Management Division (ASMD) is responsible for monitoring the operations of airlines in compliance with bilateral air services arrangements; providing information to relevant authorities regarding air transport licence applications by local airlines and for air services negotiations; providing schedule co-ordination and slot allocation services to airlines and other aircraft operators; developing and implementing noise mitigating measures; setting out and implementing safety policy to promote and enhance safety of the aviation system; and regulating Hong Kong air navigation services. The ASMD is also responsible for handling civil aviation legislative matters; regulating the operations of small unmanned aircraft in Hong Kong; furnishing air traffic statistics to international organisations; and coordinating the formulation of departmental training policy for departmental professional grade staff.
Year 2021-22 was still under the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. There was 1.42 million of passenger throughput, representing an increase of 69% compared to previous year, however, there was a significant drop of 98% when compared with the pre-pandemic level. Unlike passenger services, cargo capacity demand was on the rise. Cargo throughput rose by 7% year on year to 4.89 million tonnes. Aircraft movements experienced a year-on-year increase of 13%, with 144 511 movements recorded in the reporting year, but were still 66% lower than the pre-pandemic level. During the year, 116 airlines operated direct services to and from Hong Kong, covering 149 cities/airports.
Recognising the crisis and difficulties faced by the aviation industry as a result of the pandemic, the ASMD has continued to take a proactive approach in supporting the industry's operations, especially the facilitation in the processing of flight applications from airlines in meeting the surge in cargo capacity demand. During the year, the ASMD handled and approved applications for about 24 000 extra sections and charter all-cargo flights, and cargo flight movements also recorded an increase of 14%. The ASMD will keep working closely with the industry in tackling the challenges ahead.
Services by local carriers as at the end of March 2022 were outlined in the ensuing paragraphs.
Cathay Pacific Airways Limited operated direct services to 56 destinations worldwide, including new destinations to Fuzhou, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Qingdao and Wuhan.
AHK Air Hong Kong Limited operated direct all-cargo services to 14 destinations in Asia.
Hong Kong Airlines Limited operated direct services to 6 destinations.
Hong Kong Express Airways Limited is the only low-cost carrier in Hong Kong. It operated direct passenger services to 3 destinations, namely Kaohsiung, Singapore and Taipei.
Hong Kong Air Cargo Carrier Limited operated direct all-cargo services to 13 destinations.
Heliservices (Hong Kong) Limited continued to operate local passenger charters and aerial work services.
The services of Sky Shuttle Helicopters Limited has been put on hold since 4 February 2020 due to the suspension of passenger clearance services at the Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal.
Three non-Hong Kong airlines launched new scheduled services to Hong Kong for the carriage of cargo during the year. They include DHL Aviation (EEMEA) B.S.C. (c) for services from Bahrain in September 2021; M Jets International Sdn Bhd for services from Kuala Lumpur in February 2022; and TAAG-Linhas Aereas de Angola, S.A. for services from Luanda in March 2022.
On the other hand, three airlines suspended their scheduled services to and from Hong Kong – American Airlines Inc. in June 2021, Titan Airways Limited in October 2021 and Southern Air Inc. in November 2021¹.
During the year, the CAD issued 119 operating permits to airlines for operation of scheduled services to and from Hong Kong, and processed around 11 600 applications for changes to the schedules. A total of 3 386 permits were also issued for the operation of charter services to, from and in Hong Kong.
During the year, the CAD processed 279 tariff filings for carriage of passengers and cargo on scheduled services to and from Hong Kong.
In March 2022, having considered the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the challenges faced by the logistics trade, the Government decided to impose a moratorium on the liberalisation of Cargo Fuel Surcharge (CFS) for two years, from 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2024. In this period, airlines may continue to levy CFS based on the existing CFS Mechanism of the CAD for flights originating from Hong Kong.
In accordance with the Air Transport (Licensing of Air Services) Regulations (Chapter 448A), any person intending to use Hong Kong-registered aircraft to operate scheduled services to carry passengers, mail or cargo must apply to the Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) for a licence for such operations. The ATLA granted a licence to Greater Bay Airlines in February 2022.
During the year, the CAD provided the ATLA with air services-related information and statistics with regard to an application for renewal of licence.
In accordance with the Worldwide Airport Slot Guidelines (WASG), the Hong Kong Schedule Coordination Office of the CAD managed slot allocation in a fair, neutral and transparent manner, with a view to ensuring the efficient utilisation of existing airport infrastructure.
Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, slot requests at the Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) reduced significantly. A total of 147 284 slots were allocated to airlines and other operators at the HKIA in the year, despite an increase of 10.2% over the previous year, there was a remarkable drop of traffic at 61.5% when compared with the pre-pandemic level.
According to the WASG, airlines are usually entitled to retain a series of slots for the next equivalent season if their flights were operated at least 80% of the slots allocated.
To relieve the pandemic pressures placed upon the aviation industry, the CAD informed airlines in August 2021 and January 2022 that the dispensation of the 80% utilisation rule from August 2019 would be further extended to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Winter Season 2021 and IATA Summer Season 2022 respectively. All scheduled flights cancelled in accordance with the waiver conditions would be deemed as operated when they are considered for historic entitlement for the next equivalent IATA Season. This relief measure has provided stakeholders with greater flexibility in resource management to meet the challenges.
The CAD is conscious of the noise impact that aircraft operations may have on local community and has implemented a series of noise mitigating measures based on the guidelines of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). The division monitored the implementation of various noise mitigating measures and aircraft noise situations in various districts through the computerised Aircraft Noise and Flight Track Monitoring System. The system comprises 16 outdoor noise monitoring terminals which are installed at strategic locations in Hong Kong to monitor and record noise data for aircraft operating into and out of the HKIA, and a computer system which correlates noise data collected with the actual aircraft flight tracks detected by the CAD's radar system.
Apart from the aircraft noise abatement operational procedures, the CAD has prohibited aircraft not meeting the relevant aircraft noise standards from landing and taking off in Hong Kong since 2002. To further alleviate aircraft noise disturbance to local communities, starting from the end of March 2019, aircraft that do not comply with the noise standards stipulated in Volume I, Part II, Chapter 4 of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, or equivalent, are not allowed to operate at the HKIA between 10 pm and 7 am the following day. The CAD will review this arrangement from time to time and closely monitor the latest developments of ICAO, the international aviation industry and the operation of the HKIA in considering the need to step up the relevant requirement.
During the year, the division handled 303 aircraft noise complaints. Detailed investigation was carried out for every single case and the results would be explained to the complainants. In an effort to enhance the understanding of the noise mitigating measures and noise monitoring work by the local community, the division maintained close liaison with the District Councils.
To maintain the status of Hong Kong as a centre of international and regional civil aviation in accordance with the provisions of the Basic Law, and to facilitate the discharge of Hong Kong's responsibilities under the regional air navigation procedures of ICAO, the CAD continued to participate actively in ICAO's activities including meetings, symposiums, seminars, etc. During the year, the CAD representatives attended five ICAO meetings which were limited to states as part of the delegation of the People's Republic of China, and 36 ICAO meetings which were not so limited, using the name "Hong Kong, China". Details of these 41 meetings are provided in the Appendix. The CAD also exchanged 401 letters with ICAO, the majority of which involved comments and information on technical matters related to civil aviation.
The CAD has consistently supported aviation related activities and initiatives of APEC using the name "Hong Kong, China". During the year, the CAD handled 23 requests relating to APEC, which involved provision of comments and information on technical matters related to civil aviation.
In Hong Kong, the unmanned aircraft are classified as aircraft and are governed, as far as aviation safety is concerned, by the civil aviation legislation. According to Article 48 of the Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995 (Cap. 448C), a person shall not recklessly or negligently cause or permit an aircraft (including unmanned aircraft) to endanger any person or property.
To seize the immense potential of unmanned aircraft application while safeguarding aviation and public safety, the Government introduced a subsidiary legislation, the Small Unmanned Aircraft Order (SUA Order), under the Civil Aviation Ordinance (Cap. 448), as a forward-looking regulatory regime for SUA. Under the new law to be commenced on June 1 2022, SUA operations will be regulated under a risk-based approach and classified according to the weight of the SUA and the operational risk level. Operations of different risk levels will be subject to the corresponding regulatory requirements, including registration and labelling of SUA, registration of remote pilots, training and assessment, equipment, operating requirements and insurance, etc. The provisions allow a six-month grace period for the public to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and prepare for compliance. The exceptions are offences in relation to endangering acts, restricted flying zones and enforcement which should take effect on June 1 to safeguard aviation and public safety.
To facilitate implementation, the CAD launched the SUA Advanced Training Organisation Scheme in December 2021 to provide advanced training courses and assessments for remote pilots conducting higher-risk SUA operations to obtain Advanced Ratings. Since January 2022, an electronic portal, available on both mobile application and web portal, has been rolled out for trial in phases. The public may take advantage of the user-friendly platform to register, make applications and access safety information, including the Drone Map, and to familiarise themselves with the new requirements and prepare for compliance. Meanwhile, the CAD has kept up its publicity and educational efforts through various means, including publishing safety information and guidelines on the CAD's website, distributing safety leaflets, broadcasting safety messages through television and radio stations, and communicating regularly with SUA/model aircraft associations and manufacturers, so as to raise the safety awareness of the relevant sectors and organisations, as well as the general public, about the SUA operations.
The Strategic Safety Office is responsible for implementing safety management initiatives and requirements. It plans and coordinates the State Safety Programme and Continuous Monitoring Approach activities for the CAD and promotes the effective implementation of safety management principles.
Under the CMA adopted by ICAO, all states and administrations are required to provide relevant information for ICAO's continuous review with the purpose of enhancing the safety oversight capability of states and administrations and promoting global aviation safety.
During the year, the CAD sustained its efforts to proactively implement the CMA activities through a coordinated approach, which included formulation of action plans and associated tasks, provision of updated information to ICAO and regular review of the CMA documentation.
The CAD continued to implement the SSP according to the Hong Kong Aviation Safety Programme, which was reviewed and updated with reference to the latest ICAO's requirements and guidance on safety management.
With the publication of its Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) 2020-2022 edition, ICAO presented an enhanced global roadmap for the continuous improvement of aviation safety. In support of the implementation of the GASP, the CAD joined ICAO's ad-hoc working group for the development of the Asia-Pacific Regional Aviation Safety Plan (AP-RASP) 2023-2025 edition, charting the strategies to strengthen safety oversight and reduce operational safety risks in the region.
The Director General of Civil Aviation was elected as the Chairperson of the Regional Aviation Safety Group – Asia Pacific (RASG-APAC) of ICAO for a three-year term on 17 December 2020. With a current membership of 41 APAC states/administrations, the RASG-APAC aims to develop and implement a regional performance framework for the management of aviation safety and serves as a regional platform to promote safety initiatives. The CAD will continue to support the RASG on various regional safety strategies, including the promotion of aviation safety with regional partners and exchange of the SSP implementation experience. During the year, the CAD chaired the RASG-APAC with civil aviation authorities and international organisations, focusing on formulating facilitating arrangements for aviation industry and measures to support a safe and smooth air transport recovery from the pandemic.
The CAD will continue to periodically review and refine our existing safety oversight system and implement the related global aviation safety strategies and safety management provisions with a view to continually enhancing our safety regulation.
The ATMSO is responsible for ensuring that a high standard of safety in the provision of air navigation services in Hong Kong is established, achieved and maintained.
The ATMSO conducted regular audits and safety inspections on the Air Traffic Management Division (ATMD) and Air Traffic Engineering Services Division. During the year, a total of 28 audits and safety inspections were conducted.
The safety inspections included air traffic management and communication, navigation and surveillance activities in operations, procedures, training and examinations; Safety Management System (SMS) implementation; air traffic control (ATC) equipment/systems; safety occurrences investigations; maintenance arrangement; internal audits and follow-up actions arising from safety recommendations.
As part of its duties, the ATMSO participated in the preliminary investigations of all ATC incidents jointly with the ATMD investigators to determine the category and severity of the incident. A decision would then be made as to the form of investigation to be conducted in accordance with the established provisions. During the year, the ATMSO conducted safety review of ATC incidents.
Through the Air Navigation Services Standards Coordination Meeting and the Air Traffic Safety Assessment Committee, the ATMSO also regularly reviewed issues pertinent to safety occurrences, implementation of the SMS and safe air navigation service provisions in collaboration with air navigation service provider and the safety personnel of other stakeholders including Flight Standards and Airworthiness Division, major local airline operators and the Government Flying Service to promote continual development and improvement.
The ATMSO reviews and updates existing regulatory documents periodically to ensure that they remain accurate, valid and up-to-date. In the year, ATMSO had promulgated an “Air Navigation Services Information Notice”.
In accordance with the standards in ICAO Annex 1 and the requirements of Air Navigation (Hong Kong) Order 1995, the ATMSO processed 143 initial awards of ATC Licences, ATC Ratings and Certificates of Competency, as well as 280 renewals of Ratings and Certificates.
For safety promotion, the ATMSO conducted periodic briefings on safety culture and the SMS as well as issuing safety promotion information to air navigation service providers and staff of maintenance service providers to reinforce safety oversight and safety management concepts. In addition, the ATMSO regularly published regulatory information and safety management materials on the intranet for convenient access by all air navigation services staff.
The ASMD provided support in formulating the departmental training policy and making recommendations on the endorsement of the departmental training programme. Through regular liaisons with divisional training coordinators, the ASMD also helped organise department-wide training events.
To further foster a continuous learning culture in the CAD, the ASMD organised knowledge management activities such as talks on latest aviation developments or trends and visits to major stakeholders.
The Aviation Education Path (AEP) continued to serve as a valuable gateway for the CAD to enhance the public understanding of the functions and responsibilities of various divisions of the CAD, the historical developments of civil aviation in Hong Kong, the ongoing construction of the Three-Runway System and the importance of aviation safety.
The AEP was opened for public visit for most of the time in the year, however, guided group tours were temporarily suspended owing to the pandemic.
¹Due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, 13 airlines suspended their scheduled services to and from Hong Kong before the end of March 2021 and had not resumed services during the year. They were Air Transport International, China Southern Airlines, Eznis Airways LLC, Juneyao Airlines Co., Ltd, Mandarin Airlines, MIAT Mongolian Airlines, Myanmar National Airlines, Pt. Lion Mentari Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Spring Airlines, Thai Air Asia Co., Ltd, Thai Smile Airways Company Limited and Vietjet Aviation Joint Stock Company.