Hong Kong Observatory awarded in Hong Kong ICT Awards 2023

6 November 2023

The Hong Kong Observatory won the Smart Mobility Award (Smart Transport) Bronze Award of the Hong Kong ICT Awards 2023 with its application “Estimation of Standing Water Conditions on Airport Runways”.  The awards presentation ceremony for this year was held on 3 November at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

The Observatory has developed a novel algorithm designed for the Hong Kong International Airport to estimate standing water conditions on the runways.  The system not only facilitates an improved flight crew assessment of take-off and landing performance with an aim to mitigate the risk of runway excursions by aircraft and safeguard aviation safety but also ensures full compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization's requirements for real-time reporting of runway surface conditions from November 2021 onwards.

The system combines real-time rainfall data measured from the existing network of in-situ present weather sensors along the runways as well as quantitative precipitation forecast based on radar reflectivity.  Supplemented with rainfall nowcasts on intensity and duration, the system automatically monitors the runways 24 hours a day and provides real-time estimation of the standing water conditions to the Integrated Airport Centre via a tailor-made all-in-one platform to simplify its decision-making process. 

The Hong Kong ICT Awards is an annual signature event of the local information and communications technology (ICT) industry, which aims to recognise and promote outstanding ICT inventions and applications, thereby encouraging the pursuit of innovation and excellence among Hong Kong's ICT professionals and enterprises to develop applications meeting the social and business needs.



Ms Tse Shuk-mei, Stand-in Assistant Director (second from left), Mr Fan Man-hei, Scientific Officer (first from left) and Ms Li Hiu-yan (first from right), Experimental Officer receiving the Bronze Award of the Smart Mobility (Smart Transport) Category.