The Hong Kong government announced on Friday that Clara Wong will take the helm as the city's new Director-General of Civil Aviation in August, succeeding retiring aviation chief Victor Liu Chi-yung.
Wong, who currently serves as the Deputy Director-General, will officially assume her new leadership role on August 10.
Her promotion coincides with the departure of Liu, who will begin his pre-retirement leave on the same day after a 36-year career in the civil service.
Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung Ho Poi-yan expressed strong confidence in the incoming chief's abilities.
She noted that Wong's extensive professional knowledge and deep experience in civil aviation make her highly capable of leading the department through future industry challenges.
Yeung also commended the outgoing director-general for his decades of dedicated public service and his commitment to strengthening Hong Kong's position as a global aviation hub.
She specifically highlighted Liu's instrumental leadership in guiding the local aviation industry's recovery following the global pandemic.
Furthermore, Yeung praised his contributions to the ongoing implementation of the airport's Three-Runway System project and his support for the development of domestically produced aircraft.
Both officials have long histories within the department. Wong began her career at the Civil Aviation Department as an assistant operations officer in June 1997.
She steadily climbed the ranks over the decades, becoming an assistant director-general in August 2020 before stepping into her current deputy role just this month.
Liu, who has led the department as director-general since April 2020, initially entered the civil service as an assistant social work officer in 1990.
He transferred to the Civil Aviation Department two years later, eventually working his way up to the top post to steer the city's aviation sector through one of its most challenging historical periods.
