Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines launched a regular service to Japan on Thursday, hoping to serve passengers aching to travel after years of Covid-19 restrictions.
The flight departed for Tokyo’s Narita International Airport at about 9.20am, while inbound passengers are expected to touch down in Hong Kong at 4pm. The carrier already flies five times a week to Taipei, while its service to Seoul is due to begin next Tuesday.
“Greater Bay Airlines will create a new aviation chapter with an innovative operation mode,” chairman Bill Wong Cho-bau said at a ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport before take-off. “Along with the Greater Bay Area development, we can help to turn Hong Kong into an international aviation hub.”
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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.
Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines set for first Bangkok flight
Airline CEO Stanley Hui said the flight was more than 80 per cent full with over 150 passengers on board.
“I am happy with this result as we only rolled this out in a short period of time,” he said.
Airport Authority Hong Kong chairman Jack So Chak-kwong said he was confident that the new third runway would be fully completed next year which would increase capacity by 50 per cent.
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.
Hong Kong grants Greater Bay Airlines status to start route talks overseas
Japan is a top destination for Hongkongers, some of whom are willing to fly north for weekend trips they view as something of a “homecoming”.
When Japan removed coronavirus-related entry restrictions for solo travellers in October last year, Hongkongers scrambled for tickets costing more than HK$10,000 (US$1,280) 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 of the number.
More from South China Morning Post:
- Hong Kong grants Greater Bay Airlines status to open talks with foreign countries to fly 104 routes
- Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines to launch first scheduled commercial flight to Bangkok in July, fleet expansion plans on hold amid Covid border measures
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