Fast and furious.儲存 That in a nutshell aptly describes the lifestyle of Edward Lau Chung-wai. The chief executive of Jetstar Hong Kong, the territory's newest budget airline, simply loves the adrenaline rush of working in the aviation industry. "I like speed," he says. For Lau, anything that's a nanosecond too long is positively Jurassic. That explains why he left the freight shipping business in the first place. "It was too slow for me!" he exclaims. While most people of his age would be thinking of that golden handshake, Lau, currently in his 50s, has the stamina of those half his age. Boasting a track record of nearly 30 years in the aviation business, Lau's accomplishments include starting up the Hong Kong arm of FedEx in 1985 and introducing the first direct flight of TNT Express to the territory in 2002. "Wherever I work, I always try and create something new," he says, adding: "Back in the old days in the 80s, who knew about express courier services?" Today, this has become wildly successful and is a major delivery trend, he says. Lau savors the taste of success of his start-ups and is content to put behind him all the anxieties he went through in the process. "If you really enjoy the work, you will consider it as a challenge and it brings satisfaction. Because you are walking a path no one else did." Lau has worked in Singapore, Japan and China, to name a few countries, but his work was always related to either setting up new departments or re- engineering them. Lau made a brief foray outside the aviation industry and worked as a management consultant. But he returned to his aviation "roots" so to speak. "I missed those days," he reminisces. For Lau to step out of his comfort zone is nothing new. So when the opportunity came to head Jetstar Hong Kong in March, he grabbed it with both hands. "It will make aviation history in Hong Kong," he said proudly. "Jetstar Hong Kong is completely new [to Hong Kong]. But at the same time, it builds on the foundation of Jetstar, the airline which has been operating for 10 years." Lau and the new airline seem to be in perfect sync, as both tap into a business which is unfamiliar to most people. The Jetstar Group, founded and based in Australia since 2004`, has always entered into a market that does not have any budget airlines and attracts competition, he explained. He cites the example of Singapore- based Jetstar Asia, which started operations way back in 2004, and Jetstar Japan, which was set up last year, and has since paved the way for three more low-cost airlines in that country. Apart from sharing the same mission and vision, Lau thinks the culture of Jetstar Hong Kong suits him to a tee. Take, for instance, the number of employees in the new carrier. "With fewer than 100 staff, we are very close and always work as a team, despite everyone's age difference and nationality," he says. Lau is of the firm belief that the emergence of Jetstar Hong Kong can only benefit both the economy and people of the SAR. First, the carrier can make use of the timeslots during non-peak hours that are not yet saturated, he says. "There are many non-peak slots during the day, not just at midnight, like before 8am or in the afternoon, so Hong Kong International Airport still has the capacity to take in more flights." Lau also argues that the airport costs in Hong Kong are not as hmini storagegh as those of Tokyo's Narita Airport, the second busiest airport in Japan. "The costs are three times higher in Japan, but budget flights are quite successful over there." Lau believes airport costs only account for about 10 percent of the total costs of Jetstar Hong Kong, unlike what most people may think is a heavy burden. Besides, flights on Jetstar Hong Kong can be tailor made to destinations and timeslots for local people who are eager to travel. "For other non-Hong Kong-based low cost airlines, their target customers are not Hongkongers," he says. Lau stressed that point-to-point flights also help to boost the number of tourists staying in Hong Kong, to shop and travel around, as compared to connecting flights. "It will contribute directly to the local economy and benefit Hong Kong people." Once operations commence, the carrier vows that its air tickets will be priced half of what full-service airlines are offering. Talking about budget airlines in the territory, the newly launched Hong Kong Express last month comes to mind. Both airlines are targeting short-haul flights, which are within five hours' flying time from the SAR. After Jetstar Hong Kong's license is approved it will become a direct competitor to Hong Kong Express. Lau believes the territory still has the capacity to accommodate many more low cost flights. "In terms of seat percentage [low cost carriers] account for less than 7 percent of all flights at Hong Kong International Airport," he says. The figure, he adds, is far lower than the average 52 percent in terms of percentage of seats in Southeast Asia last year. "While people in Hong Kong were used to having buffet in the past, they now have a chance to go a-la-carte." Lau said, trying to portray the emergence of budget carriers as offering travelers more choice at a reasonable price. Budget airlines, he hopes, will change the prevailing mindset of Hong Kong people of the entire airlines sector. Lau stresses that safety will always be a top priority for all Jetstar airlines. Looking to the future, he hopes the carrier will be able to launch a local pilot training program. He was, of course, is referring to the hit Cantonese TV drama Triumph in the skies which has sparked the imagination of many youngsters who now dream of flying. Even though Jetstar Hong Kong is waiting to get its flying license, Lau is not standing still. He is making the rounds of schools and universities to promote the concept of budget airlines and change students' views of low-cost carriers. As if to prove his point he said: "I once saw three women at Tokyo's Narita Airport who did not have any luggage. "I became curious and asked them where they were flying to. They told me that they were going to Hokkaido for lunch. "I then asked them where would they go if there was no plane to Hokkaido. And they said they `would take the train to Yokohama instead'." Lau said this is one example of how the low cost carrier can change people's perceptions of what they take a plane for - it is just another means of easy and convenient transportation. "Hong Kong people might go shopping in Korea or eat in Tokyo during any weekend they like," Lau said. Lau seldom slows down except to indulge in his favorite activity, which is photography. "I enjoy taking photos, especially shooting landscapes." imogene.wong@singtaonewscorp.com self storage
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