Connecting HK & UK: Review of Aviation Development

British Airways Heritage Collection and Ming-Ai (London) Institute have opened an exhibition - “Connecting HK & the UK: A Review of its Aviation Development” - at the Hong Kong Museum of History.

The exhibition showcases the development of aviation in Hong Kong over the last 80 years, and is free to visit until 9 January 2017. Visitors can also enjoy the complimentary scheduled guided tours and the five exclusive thematic talks.

The exhibition sets the scene to walk visitors down the memory lane from the historical Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport in the 1930s to today’s modern London Heathrow Terminal 5. It demonstrates the developments of aviation technology, air navigation systems, expansion of routes, improvements in passenger experiences, as well as the numerous facelifts of Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport and its Kowloon neighbourhood through history.

The precious historical artefacts on display include aircraft models and inflight menus used on the routes decades ago, showing the public the profound impact of air travel on the cultural and economic exchanges between the people who call Hong Kong or the UK, or both, “home”.

Visitors will also have the chance to see a LEGO model of the old Kai Tak Airport and the entire Kowloon neighbourhood in 1990s.

Over the exhibition period, five thematic talks with inter-related topics will be hosted at the Museum’s Lecture Hall by celebrated  speakers in their fields. Public guided tours will also be provided to visitors in both Cantonese and English.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ executive vice president for China, said, “We are very impressed with the excitingly new elements in the exhibition. Apart from the LEGO model of Kai Tak Airport and entire Kowloon City neighbourhood in the 1990s, we are also brining the “Magic Mirror” to the people in Hong Kong for the first time. Visitors can take home souvenir photos of them “trying on” different virtual British Airways vintage uniforms with the help of a high-tech mirror, completed with the vintage imagery of aircraft or cabin interiors in the background of the photos. We have also installed a Flight Simulator game at the exhibition so visitors experience flying through iconic UK landmarks like a real pilot! The Duke of Cambridge Prince William also played this game at the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai in 2015. He played it so well and he enjoyed the game very much.”

For the guided tours, visitors can choose either Cantonese or English sessions. Cantonese sessions are available at 13:00 on Monday, Wednesday to Sunday and public holidays. English sessions are available at 17:00 on Saturday, Sunday and public holidays. Each tour will last for 45 minutes and admit 20 visitors on a first-come, first-served basis.

The five thematic talks will be held in the Lecture Hall, G/F, Hong Kong Museum of History on 14, 21, 24, 25 and 31 December.

Ming-Ai (London) Institute’s dean, Chungwen Li said, "It is an absolute pleasure for us to be part of this exhibition. This exhibition showcases the significant changes of aviation development over the 80 years, which also represents how aviation connects the Chinese communities between Hong Kong and the UK. Our aim is to collect, to preserve and to share cultural heritage stories like these with the general public.”

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