Former Dragonair chief Stanley Hui Hon-chung has been appointed chief executive officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong, replacing David Pang, sources told The Standard on December 6.

Hui was shortlisted among the final candidates, who included senior management from the authority as well as an overseas candidate, they said.

A spokesman for the authority declined to comment, saying an announcement on the new appointment would be made in due course.

Pang was appointed chief executive in January 2001 and June 13 this year it was announced that he had opted not to renew his three-year contract, which ends December 31.

However, Pang did agree to stay on until the global search for a successor was complete.

Market speculation hinted that Hui would be in the running for the position because he had resigned August 29 as chief executive of Dragonair, after Cathay Pacific Airways' shareholders approved the buyout deal for Dragonair.

Hui began his airline career in 1975 as a management trainee for Cathay Pacific. In preparation for the 1997 handover, he became Cathay Pacific's manager, international affairs, representing the airline in negotiations on air-service agreements.

From 1994 to 1997, he was chief operating officer of cargo carrier Air Hong Kong, a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific. He became chief executive of Dragonair in February 1997.

During his 10 years with the airline, Hui took the company from being a small carrier operating 11 aircraft serving 24 destinations in Asia to becoming an award-winning airline with a fleet of 37 aircraft serving 38 cities worldwide.

On the same day he resigned from Dragonair, China National Aviation Corp Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of China National Aviation Holding, appointed Hui as director starting from September 1.

However, there is market speculation that Hui will resign his CNACG post when his appointment as authority chief executive is made official, to avoid a conflict of interest.