HONG KONG AND HKIA handled 28.6 million passengers and 1.6 million tonnes of cargo, with 450 air traffic movements (ATMs, also known as flight movements) per day to about 120 destinations. The level of throughput reached 50.9 million passengers and 4.1 million tonnes of cargo, respectively with more than 850 ATMs per day to about 160 destinations at the end of 2010. in Chapter 3), the global aviation market, and the market in this region in particular, is expected to grow in leaps and bounds in the next two decades. Between 2008 and 2030, the global GDP is forecast to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4% and the Mainland GDP growth at an even higher rate of 7%. Accordingly, the aviation market is also expected to grow robustly. In the light of this rising demand for air travel, many airports in this region are responding by mapping out plans to enhance their facilities. Figure 1.1 summarises the plans we gathered from publicly available information. Air connectivity is crucial to maintaining Hong Kong as an international business centre and Asia’s World City. However, as HKIA approaches its maximum runway capacity, the growth of our air connectivity will slowly grind to a halt unless we continue to invest and expand our handling capacity. Hong Kong’s overall competitiveness would be at risk (discussed in Chapter 7). This could be avoided by planning well ahead, hence, the need for the HKIA Master Plan 2030. A VIBRANT AVIATION MARKET In accordance with our air traffic demand forecast (discussed in detail 6