HKIA and Chicago O’Hare Airport forge partnership
Under the witness of Mayor of Chicago Richard M. Daley (middle), AA Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hui Hon-chung (right) and CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino (left) sign an MoU establishing HKIA and O'Hare Airport as “sister airports”
The Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), identifying Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and O’Hare International Airport (O’Hare) as “sister airports.” Last year, HKIA and Beijing Capital International Airport forged a similar partnership.
AA CEO Stanley Hui believes this new partnership will advance customer service and airport management in both entities. “HKIA and O’Hare are both leading aviation gateways, and therefore we have much in common and a lot to learn from each other,” Hui said in a statement. “With this agreement, we will be able to form closer ties and exchange our know-how in airport management while maintaining and exceeding passenger expectations. This will help reinforce HKIA’s status as a leading international and regional aviation hub and a preferred gateway to the Mainland.”
The MoU delineates how the two high-traffic airports can maximize their aviation expertise by exchanging customer service proficiencies and shedding light on technological innovations. Because HKIA handles such high volumes of passenger and cargo traffic — 4.1 million tonnes of cargo in 2010 alone — the partnership is expected to have strong implications for both airline giants.
“This agreement reflects our commitment to work cooperatively in all aspects of our respective airports, and to promote business, commerce, trade, tourism and cultural relations between the cities of Hong Kong and Chicago,” CDA Commissioner Rosemarie S. Andolino said in a statement. “This partnership will be further solidified with the addition of a new passenger service by Cathay Pacific Airways between O’Hare and Hong Kong International Airports beginning this September.”
Fourteen passenger and 40 cargo flights fly between HKIA and O’Hare each week.
