No rhyme nor reason
Who can figure out how they think on the 4th floor?
I can remember back in '96 when expats started to arrive here in numbers and it was being decided who went where, one controller arrived in HK with 25 years ATC experience, 24 in TWR/APPCH and 1 in en-route. When he was asked where he wanted to work he said TWR/APPCH and was told that there were no spaces on the next tower course so he must do en-route.
The very next course, which started a matter of weeks later, a Canadian arrived who in 26 years of ATC had never set foot in a control tower. Guess which course he was put on - yep, TWR
The govt spent good money to get good, experienced controllers and then completely ignored any and all advice that was offered to them back when CLK opened - nothing has changed.
I can only express amazement that so many of the original expats are still here given the frustrations of living and working in Hong Kong.
Lets face it the money is not that good anymore and, unlike the old days at Kai Tak, there is little or no prestige associated with working in Hong Kong anymore.