7 COMPARISON BETWEEN THE TWO OPTIONS once lost, would be hard to regain. It is in the best interest of Hong Kong to ensure that sufficient capacity at HKIA is developed in time to cater for the anticipated demand. Relying on Neighbouring Airports is Not an Option Some advocates have argued that greater cooperation with Greater Pearl River Delta (GPRD) airports (most notably Shenzhen Bao’an Airport) could possibly remove the need for us to expand HKIA’s capacity. We, however, do not believe that it is a viable proposition, for the following reasons – (a) Air services to and from an airport are regulated by individual jurisdiction and governed internationally through a network of bilateral air services agreements. Therefore, flight movements that we cannot accommodate due to capacity constraints cannot be funnelled to other airports purely based on demand or at our wishes; (b) It would not be in the interest of most passengers who would likely find using or transferring through another airport highly inconvenient; and (c) Most importantly, relying on other airports to meet our demand would inhibit the growth of our hub airport and thus adversely affect Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness as a world city. It should be noted that the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Express Line (WEL), which is currently under feasibility study by the Government, may provide an efficient mode of transport to allow seamless passenger flight connections between the two airports, and to make it even more convenient for the GPRD’s travelling public to fly via HKIA internationally or Shenzhen airport domestically. The project is subject to further studies, including alignment options, patronage forecasts, the functionality of the railways, technical standards, operational and service requirements, etc. If and when the WEL is constructed, the benefit it brings would equally apply to both Options. This is an example of our cooperation with other GPRD airports. We enhance consumer choice by making smooth travel. A recent example is 40