Former Harcourt Road Heliport [????- ] | Gwulo: Old Hong Kong

Former Harcourt Road Heliport [????- ]

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IndustrialhistoryHK reports:

On 15 December 1970, Hong Kong air introduced scheduled passenger services between the Hong Kong Island heliport at Harcourt Road and Kai Tak International Airport on the mainland. Helicopters employed on this service ranged from the three-seater Bell 47J to the twin-jet Bell 212, capable of carrying 13 passengers. This fast four-minute service saved over one hour on the surface travel time between the two points and substantially reduced the check-in time for international flights out of Kai Tak.

Up to 22 daily flights were provided in each direction, generally on a half hourly basis, leaving Harcourt Road at 0745 in the morning, the last flight arriving back at 2330 hours. Schedules were designed to connect with inbound and outbound international flights.

The opening of the cross-harbour tunnel in 1973, in which the parent company has a considerable interest, resulted in the suspension of scheduled services on 31 December 1973. In just three years, Hong Kong Air carried a total of 96,808 passengers, no mean achievement considering the seating capacity of its helicopters.

......Every Sunday and Public Holiday, flights were available until recently to Lantau, which is the colony’s largest island. These six-minute services between Harcourt Road and Silvermine Bay were non-scheduled, but operated approximately every 15 minutes during the morning and late afternoon.

Hong Kong Air’s helicopters have also been successfully utilized on many other tasks including lifting items on heavy drilling equipment for the High Island Water Scheme, construction of overhead power lines in remote areas of the New Territories, construction of TV and telephone microwave towers, and the movement of building materials and spare parts to outlying areas.

Couldn't find the closing date of the heliport.