Imagine you are hosting a party. You have space to accommodate 100 people. Fire and safety regulations won’t allow any more, but you have invited a lot of people. Thus, some must leave before you can allow more in.
This is the situation with Hong Kong’s desire to build a third airport runway. There are interesting parallels with the plans to add a third runway at Heathrow. In both cases proponents have emphasised economic benefits, while non-governmental organisations have called for a more holistic assessment that includes social and environmental impacts.
For an eye-watering HK$136.2bn, the region could handle more passenger and cargo capacity, and hold on to its pre-eminent position as a hub. Its economy is expected to benefit by HK$900bn.