We are now approaching Sun Yat-Sen Airport – It’s a Possible!

Somehow Hong Kong airport doesn’t sound glamorous anymore. Don’t get me wrong it’s a perfectly good airport, indeed a very good airport and I arrive, depart and transit through it regularly and with pleasure. However, Chek Lap Kok has just never had the same romantic ring of the Orient that Kaitak did. Nor, as far as I know, are there any Chek Lap Kok Rules to replace the legendary Kaitak Rules!

But it could be about to change. The Hong Kong Historical Aviation Society’s (who knew!! and sadly they don’t appear to have a web site) vice-chairman Gordon Andressand has suggested Sun Yat-Sen Airport. Students at Hong Kong Uni apparently love the idea and have launched a petition. Of course it’s Xinhai, but the wheels move too slowly for the change to happen this year, but also remember that Dr Sun, with some American engineers, did commission plane manufacture in China in 1923 for reconnaissance planes to track the movements of the warlords. The first plane was apparently called Rosamonde, an English name for Mrs Sun Yat-sen – Soong Ching-ling.

You won’t be surprised to know that many expect the only people to object to this fine piece of renaming will be the Commies up north – the PRC hasn’t named any airports after individuals yet though surely we’d all love to take off at Zhao Ziyang International Departures and land at the Ai Wei Wei Domestic Terminal – but then maybe not! You can imagine the lengthy debates leading to total stasis the politburo would have over Sun Yat-sen Airport!! They couldn’t even handle a portrait and an opera during Xinhai for Lord’s sake!!

Dr Sun checks his Air Miles statement