Hong Kong Airways not too long ago celebrated its 18th anniversary and unveils its strategic improvement plan. This milestone marks the airline’s sturdy progress momentum and confidence within the Hong Kong aviation business, because it pronounces 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 occasions weekly), offering passengers with handy journey choices between Hong Kong, the Larger Bay Space, and the Gold Coast. It’ll additionally resume its Vancouver route on the next day, 18 January 2025 (two occasions weekly, ticket reservations shall be accessible 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 deal with increasing its world route community.
Following a profitable restructuring final 12 months, Hong Kong Airways has been actively enhancing its providers and increasing its enterprise. By way 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 improve flight frequency on related routes from December.
Expands the fleet to extend carrying capability
To assist 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 assist 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 predicted to develop to round 30 plane and the corporate will proceed to develop the fleet dimension as wanted to additional improve its capability.
The diversified fleet configuration will assist flight flexibility and protection, facilitating passengers with handy entry from Hong Kong to widespread 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 develop its codeshare community, present seamless sea-land-air intermodal transportation, and try 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, akin 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 improve flights to Seoul (twice each day) and Tokyo (5 occasions each day), whereas Sapporo will turn out to be a each day flight. It’ll 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.
Energetic recruitment to develop the workforce
To deal with enterprise progress, Hong Kong Airways has recruited over 600 new staff this 12 months, lots of whom have already stuffed the frontline positions, bringing the whole variety of cabin crew to greater than 1200. Trying forward, the variety of staff is predicted to extend by 60% subsequent 12 months, with a 60% improve in pilots and a 1.6-fold improve in cabin crew. Recruitment will proceed within the native market in addition to the GBA, South Korea, Japan, Southeast Asia and past.
Enhances passenger providers for elevated journey expertise
Hong Kong Airways is dedicated to offering passengers with secure, high-quality, and snug flying experiences, and incorporates Hong Kong’s cultural traits into its providers. This 12 months, the airline has optimised its cabin and airport lounge providers 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 really useful native restaurant, Man Yuen, in addition to Michelin starred Cantonese restaurant, Ming Courtroom, on the Cordis Lodge, 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 many others, whereas from the second half of 2025 onwards, Ming Courtroom will launch its revolutionary fusion delicacies in Enterprise Class, that includes dishes akin 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 candies, 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 presents economic system class passengers a style of Hong Kong’s distinctive specialties akin 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 programs on a number of A330 plane, with a few of them introducing wi-fi streaming expertise, permitting passengers to entry and revel 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 presents unique lounge providers, together with therapeutic massage chairs, and conventional Hong Kong-style delicacies akin to cart noodles, egg tarts and congee, to make passengers’ journey expertise extra stress-free and gratifying.
18th Anniversary Particular Provide
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 get pleasure from 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 shall be invited to go to the Hong Kong Airways Coaching Academy.
