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Reliving the past at the brand-new Kai Tak Stadium while a Cathay Pacific A350 passenger jet is set to soar past through Victoria Harbour this Sunday afternoon (Mar 30), commemorating the city's aviation history that began 100 years old in Kai Tak.
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The special flight demonstration also coincides with the historic debut of the Hong Kong Sevens at Kai Tak Sports Park.
According to the city’s flagship carrier, the CX8100 flight will take off at around 4 pm on Sunday, flying past Central, Wan Chai, Kai Tak Stadium and North Point through the harbor.
“The thundering roar of the engines, the bustling neighborhood right underneath…These collective memories of Kai Tak shall come alive on March 30, back in where it all began,” Cathay wrote in a Facebook post.
The government expressed support for the event, saying it “symbolizes the century-long legacy of Hong Kong’s aviation history,” and is inviting the public to witness this “momentous and meaningful occasion.”
Starting as a simple airfield in 1925, over decades, Kai Tak developed into a main air hub that connected Hong Kong to the world.
Located in the heart of Kowloon City with a runway extending into the sea, the former Kai Tak airport was known for the remarkable airplane landings.
Residents could look up and see aircraft roar right over dense residential buildings of the neighborhood, a memory cherished and shared by Hongkongers in a certain generation.
Pilots, meanwhile, remembered Kai Tak as the most difficult airport to fly in and out of, requiring a 45-degree turn below 500 feet to align with the runway.
In 1998, a year after Hong Kong’s handover, the Kai Tak Airport relocated to a new place in Chek Lap Kok. Residents crowded rooftops to bid farewell to the airport.
The former site in Kai Tak was redeveloped, currently home to the city’s cruise terminal, and the newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park.
The former runway is turned into the Kai Tak Runway Park, where visitors can see the yellow and black checkerboard pattern, once used as a landing guide, and other aviation design elements.
To facilitate the flight demonstration, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) will establish a temporary restricted flying zone in and around Victoria Harbour.
Flying activities, such as the flying of unmanned aircraft systems such as drones and model aircraft as well as kites, captive balloons, mass release of small balloons will be restricted.
The CAD will announce details of the temporary restricted flying zone on “eSUA,” the electronic portal for small unmanned aircraft, and by Notice To Airmen.
Cathay noted that the flight activity is subject to weather conditions, with more details to be announced.
(Jamie Liu)
