Hong Kong's first female aviation chief says cockpit experience guides safety focus
Clara Wong, Hong Kong's first female director-general of civil aviation, says her experience as a commercial pilot gives her practical insight into the industry. Wong, who took office in August, told Sing Tao Daily she aims to balance safety regulation with facilitating industry development amid air
Hong Kong's first female civil aviation chief Clara Wong says her experience in the cockpit has given her a practical understanding of the industry — one she hopes will help shape aviation safety and development in the city.
Wong, who took office in August, is the first woman to lead the Civil Aviation Department in its 80-year history and the first director-general to hold a commercial pilot's license. Having served in the department since 1997, Wong told Sing Tao Daily, sister publication of The Standard, in an exclusive interview that her frontline experience had given her a better understanding of the industry's day-to-day operations.
Wong said the department had always placed strong emphasis on staff training. At one point, she was sent to Australia for about 14 months of flight training, where she obtained a commercial pilot's license. She was later seconded to a cargo airline as a pilot and frequently operated overnight flights, an experience she described as both enjoyable and demanding. Pilots must be highly adaptable, Wong said, dealing with severe weather such as typhoons and heavy rain while also navigating different operational requirements at airports around the world. She said the experience had proved valuable in her work on flight safety, air cargo and airport operations.
“Knowing how the industry actually operates and what it needs, I can implement more down-to-earth measures to facilitate the industry's development,” she said.
Wong has witnessed major changes in Hong Kong aviation, from the move from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok to the transition to a three-runway system. She said the department's regulatory responsibilities had expanded alongside growing air traffic, while its work had also extended from conventional aviation into emerging areas such as low-altitude airspace. The changes, she said, had reinforced the need to adapt policies to industry and public needs while maintaining safety standards.
Looking ahead, Wong said aviation safety remained the department's core responsibility, covering areas ranging from air traffic control and flight standards to airworthiness, licensing and regulatory requirements. As new aircraft types emerge and air traffic continues to grow, Hong Kong will need to make more efficient use of its airspace, she said. At the same time, maintaining safety requires both regulators and industry operators to comply with international standards through robust safety management systems.
Wong said the department should serve not only as a “gatekeeper” but also as a “facilitator,” with officials sometimes stepping in to advise the industry on how proposals could be made workable while meeting regulatory requirements. She said national development plans supporting Hong Kong's role as an international aviation hub had also set new priorities for the department. These include expanding the city's aviation network, developing the low-altitude economy, strengthening aircraft parts handling and trading, and building a broader aviation industry ecosystem.
Talent development will be another priority, Wong said, noting that aviation depends on a wide range of professionals, from ground staff to air traffic controllers. “Safe takeoffs and landings depend on the joint efforts of the whole industry,” she said. Wong said she hoped to encourage more sharing of experience and expertise across the department and the wider aviation sector, helping raise professional standards and prepare the next generation of industry talent.