'Imported airport staff can meet peak travel demand'
Airport Authority CEO Fred Lam on Sunday expressed confidence that a government plan to import thousands of airport workers will fill a manpower gap ahead of the peak travel season in December. Speaking on a radio programme, Lam said he hopes the imported workers can be brought in as early as October, to help address the dire need for manpower at the airport.  "In the past three months, around 20 foreign airlines have expressed interest in increasing their flights to Hong Kong; but they've been unable to do so due to a shortage of ground crew in Hong Kong," he said.  "If the manpower issue is not resolved, the number of flights will have to be reduced, which will hinder the recovery of the aviation industry and even push up air ticket prices." However, the airport chief said that hiring outside talent is only a short-term solution, adding that the authority plans to rely less on labour in future by greater utilisation of technology and automation. Speaking on the same programme, engineering sector legislator Lo Wai-kwok said importing construction workers would help ease the manpower crunch brought on by an ageing workforce. Lo dismissed concerns that the plan will hurt the interests of local builders, noting that the pay of non-local workers must not be lower than the median wage of their Hong Kong counterparts.