Government Flying Service to open new base at Kai Tak, just ten minutes from Sai Kung

^{The new GFS base will allow helicopters to reach Sai Kung in ten minutes}

The Government Flying Services Department will open a branch building in Kai Tak at the end of this year, which includes a helicopter landing pad, a helicopter garage, and an office building. This is the department’s second base of operations, and is similar to that of the current Tung Chung headquarters.

When it is operational the branch will have two helicopters stationed there to deal with urgent tasks. The location is closer to the city and the operational efficiency is higher. At present, the flight from Tung Chung to Sai Kung takes 20 minutes. But after moving to Kai Tak, the same destination time only takes about 10 minutes. 

^{The new training centre allows simulated real-world training}

In addition, the department is now implementing more training programmes for the development of medical technology for aircrew officers. For example, last year, it worked with the Hong Kong Academy of Acute Medicine to study the helicopter cabin under different flight conditions and formulate relevant guidelines to strengthen the transportation of COVID-19 or other highly infectious patients. The use of virtual reality and simulated real-world training systems will strengthen the training of the aircrew in handling rescue and pre-hospital medical care.