Airport bosses gauge global interest on yacht bay plan

The Airport Authority has invited yacht bosses and hoteliers from all over the world to express their interest in a marina development project next to the city's airport. The planned yacht bay, which would be Hong Kong's largest marina, is part of the HK$100 billion Skytopia infrastructure project at Chek Lap Kok and is expected to provide 500 berths for boats of various sizes. Half of the total berthing spaces will be for yachts coming from outside of the SAR. Cissy Chan, the authority's commercial executive director, on Monday said the first phase of the marina is scheduled for completion in 2028, and officials are now gauging the interest of industry leaders before putting the project out to tender. "We provide a platform for the potential developers, investors and operators in the yachting, hotel and water-recreation industries to work together and provide their inputs," Chan said. "Their insights will be very important and critical for us to further refine the entire project. With that, we will then work on the tender timing." Chan said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East would not deter airport bosses from promoting the project to global investors and industry leaders at various occasions, including during an upcoming yachting event in Singapore. Edited by Tony Sabine