Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines to expand aircraft fleet ‘to 22 planes by 2027’, CEO says after carrier launches service between city and Japan
- ‘At present, we are running three aircraft. We aim to extend our aircraft fleet to 22 by 2027,’ says CEO Stanley Hui
- Touchdown of airline’s first plane in Tokyo marks beginning of regular service, while first flight to Seoul is due to begin on Tuesday
Appearing in Tokyo on Thursday after the airline’s first regular flight landed in the city, CEO Stanley Hui Hon-chung said the fledgling carrier planned to increase its fleet by up to four aircraft per year.
“At present, we are running three aircraft. We aim to extend our aircraft fleet to 22 by 2027. This is our midterm planning,” he said.
“We will focus on short-haul trips between Asia-Pacific and mainland China with Beijing and Shanghai as our next destinations. We also target to double our service for Tokyo and Taipei.”
Flight HB530, the airline’s first plane to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, departed Hong Kong at about 9.20am, while the return leg arrived at 8.15pm.
The carrier already flies five times a week to Taipei, while its service to Seoul is due to begin next Tuesday.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said the airline’s launch showed the market had full confidence in Hong Kong’s aviation industry.
The flight was more than 80 per cent full with over 150 passengers on board, according to Hui.
“I am happy with this result as we only rolled this out in a short period of time,” he said.
The CEO added that the airline would also need to overcome its lack of manpower, such as pilots and aircrew, to increase flight capacity.
“In the long run, we need to train our own pilots for our sustainable development,” Hui said.
Wong, the tycoon behind Shenzhen-based Donghai Airlines, has pledged to invest HK$2 billion (US$258 million) in the new company, which is stepping into a market previously served by Cathay Dragon before the 35-year-old regional carrier shut down in 2020 amid the coronavirus pandemic.
But Greater Bay Airlines has faced multiple challenges in preparing its launch, including a lengthy bid to secure licences from the government. The carrier made its debut flight to Bangkok in July last year.
Speaking at Thursday’s ceremony, Airport Authority Hong Kong chairman Jack So Chak-kwong said he was confident the new third runway would be fully operational next year and would increase capacity by 50 per cent.
Among flight HB530’s passengers was nine-year-old George, who was taking a low-cost plane journey to Tokyo for the first time.
While he felt the seats were uncomfortable, the young flier said he was a big fan of Japan’s capital because he liked the Legoland Hotel there.
“I’ve been to Tokyo five times, and each time I would get to sit in business class with my family, never economy class,” he said. “But I like its barbecue pork bun, which was very tasty, and I can’t get them in business class.”
Japan has long been one of the top sightseeing destinations for Hongkongers. When the country removed coronavirus-related entry restrictions for solo travellers in October last year, city residents scrambled for tickets costing more than HK$10,000 per round trip.
According to data compiled by the Japanese National Tourism Organisation, Hongkongers accounted for 7.1 per cent of the 31.8 million visitor arrivals in 2019, while Americans only made up 5.4 per cent.
