Hong Kong Airlines pursues international transformation with strengthening route network 

Hong Kong Airways just lately celebrated its 18th anniversary and unveils its strategic growth plan. This milestone marks  the airline’s sturdy progress momentum and confidence within the Hong Kong aviation business, because it  proclaims its return to the long-haul market in early 2025.

Going Worldwide: Returning to long-haul market 

Firstly, Hong Kong Airways will resume its Gold Coast direct service on 17 January 2025 (4  instances weekly), offering passengers with handy journey choices between Hong Kong, the  Larger Bay Space, and the Gold Coast. It’s going to additionally resume its Vancouver route on the next  day, 18 January 2025 (two instances weekly, ticket reservations will probably be out there quickly), which marks its official return to the long-haul worldwide market. This strategic transfer signifies the airline’s  transformation from a regional provider to a global airline, with a concentrate on increasing its  international route community.

Following a profitable restructuring final 12 months, Hong Kong Airways has been actively bettering its  companies and increasing its enterprise. By means of strategic planning, the airline has demonstrated a  sturdy restoration functionality by optimising its route community and adjusting its fleet construction, which now covers greater than 30 locations.

This 12 months, the variety of flight sectors has totally recovered to pre-pandemic ranges, with an  common passenger load issue of roughly 85%. The airline expects to achieve its annual  visitors goal of carrying greater than 5 million passengers by the tip of 2024. Moreover,  bookings for the Christmas and Lunar New 12 months interval have already reached 85%, with that for  the ski resort routes in Northeast Asia reaching 90%. In response to this sturdy demand, the  airline will enhance flight frequency on related routes from December.

Expands the fleet to extend carrying capability 

To help its enterprise progress, Hong Kong Airways has considerably expanded its fleet this 12 months,  introducing a number of Airbus A330-300 wide-body plane to help medium- to long-haul routes.  The airline has additionally launched its first A321 plane, configured with 220 all-economy class seats,  to extend passenger capability and operational effectivity. By the tip of this 12 months, Hong Kong  Airways’ fleet is anticipated to develop to round 30 plane and the corporate will proceed to increase  the fleet dimension as wanted to additional enhance its capability.

The diversified fleet configuration will help flight flexibility and protection, facilitating passengers with handy entry from Hong Kong to in style vacationer locations in mainland  China, Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia, the US, Canada, and Europe. In  addition to working its personal routes, the airline will proceed to collaborate with companions to  increase its codeshare community, present seamless sea-land-air intermodal transportation, and  attempt to supply service range.

Capitalises on 3RS alternative & expands intermodal transportation in GBA 

The third runway system (3RS) at Hong Kong Worldwide Airport is scheduled to totally  start operations on the finish of November, which can considerably improve the airport’s  throughput, optimise flight departure and arrival processes, and enhance operational effectivity  and passenger expertise. Leveraging Hong Kong’s distinctive geographical benefits to, join  mainland China with the remainder of the world, in addition to the chance introduced by the 3RS, Hong  Kong Airways will utilise the “airport metropolis” infrastructure and surrounding aviation community to  deepen cooperation with cities within the Larger Bay Space (GBA), and promote intermodal  transportation, corresponding to seamless “air-land-air” transfers by way of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge,  to offer passengers with a extra handy journey expertise.

Beginning this winter, the airline will enhance flights to Seoul (twice each day) and Tokyo (5 instances  each day), whereas Sapporo will develop into a each day flight. It’s going to additionally launch Sendai route in December and resume flights to the Gold Coast and Vancouver in January 2025, demonstrating its confidence  within the capability of the 3RS and dedication to exploring extra potential routes to strengthen ties  with Belt and Street nations and worldwide markets.

Lively recruitment to increase the workforce 

To deal with enterprise progress, Hong Kong Airways has recruited over 600 new workers this  12 months, lots of whom have already crammed the frontline positions, bringing the overall variety of  cabin crew to greater than 1200. Trying forward, the variety of workers is anticipated to extend  by 60% subsequent 12 months, with a 60% enhance in pilots and a 1.6-fold enhance in cabin crew. Recruitment  will proceed within the native market in addition to the GBA, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and  past.

Enhances passenger companies for elevated journey expertise 

Hong Kong Airways is dedicated to offering passengers with protected, high-quality, and  comfy flying experiences, and incorporates Hong Kong’s cultural traits into its  companies. This 12 months, the airline has optimised its cabin and airport lounge companies to offer the  finest passenger consolation potential.

To create a singular in-flight eating expertise for enterprise class passengers, the airline has  partnered with Michelin advisable native restaurant, Man Yuen, in addition to Michelin starred  Cantonese restaurant, Ming Courtroom, on the Cordis Resort, to supply beautiful Chinese language artistic delicacies.  To begin with, Man Yuen has been offering signature dishes since September, together with its  famend Steamed Pork Mince with Anchovies, King of Stir-fried with Stir-fried Garlic Chive with  Prawns and Dried Scallop Egg White Fried Rice, Braised Curry Beef Brisket with Potato and and so forth,  whereas from the second half of 2025 onwards, Ming Courtroom will launch its progressive fusion  delicacies in Enterprise Class, that includes dishes corresponding to Pork Rib Trio Onion, Baked, Wagyu Beef Cheek,  15-year Aged Dried Tangerine Peel, Braised. Paired with the airline’s signature “Bauhinia  Blossom” welcome drink, desserts, and native model goodies, the general eating expertise has  been elevated. In parallel, Corelle’s eco-friendly, light-weight, and sturdy tableware has additionally  been launched to Enterprise Class, reflecting the airline’s dedication to inexperienced and  sustainability.

In the meantime, to embody its “Very Hong Kong” model positioning, the airline provides economic system class  passengers a style of Hong Kong’s distinctive specialties corresponding to “Rice with Two Sides (This This  Rice)” and Nestle ice cream on chosen routes, making inflight eating a pleasure of the journey.

Moreover, this 12 months, the airline has prioritised the restoration of in-flight leisure  methods on a number of A330 plane, with a few of them introducing wi-fi streaming expertise,  permitting passengers to entry and luxuriate in a variety of content material utilizing their private cell  gadgets. The airline targets to totally restore full service by 2025.

Moreover, Hong Kong Airways has reopened its VIP lounge Membership Autus since 2023. Positioned at  the Hong Kong Worldwide Airport’s midfield concourse, Membership Autus is the one lounge that  provides unique lounge companies, together with therapeutic massage chairs, and conventional Hong Kong-style  delicacies corresponding to cart noodles, egg tarts and congee, to make passengers’ journey expertise extra enjoyable and fulfilling.

18th Anniversary Particular Supply 

To have a good time its 18th anniversary, Hong Kong Airways will launch a year-round improve service  from 28 November for passengers flying on their birthday with upgrades all through their  journey. Passengers flying with Hong Kong Airways on their birthday can take pleasure in buy-one-get-one free upgrades, precedence boarding, complimentary lounge entry, and birthday shock items.  Kids aged 3-11 who accumulate a sure variety of flights will probably be invited to go to the Hong  Kong Airways Coaching Academy.