A Greater Bay Airlines aircraft parks at Hong Kong International Airport. (PHOTO PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong granted the startup Greater Bay Airlines a five-year air transport license on Monday, allowing the carrier to operate scheduled commercial flights immediately.
The licence, issued by the Hong Kong's Air Transport Licensing Authority, allows the carrier to operate 104 scheduled routes at unlimited frequency from the Hong Kong International Airport.
Most of the routes will connect to the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, with 48 routes to mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou
Most of the routes will connect to the Chinese mainland and Southeast Asia, with 48 routes to mainland cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou. Other destinations include Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Bangkok and Phuket.
The carrier began its application to start flying passengers in July 2020 and operated its first cargo charter flight last November after receiving its air operator’s certificate in October.
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Earlier, the airline leased three Boeing 737 jets and took delivery of its first aircraft in September last year in Guangzhou, according to the company's website.
Led by former Cathay Dragon CEO Algernon Yau Ying-wah and many ex-airline colleagues, the private airline is backed by Hong Kong tycoon Bill Wong Cho-bau, who owns the Shenzhen-based Donghai Airlines. He has pledged to invest HK$2 billion ($256 million) in the fledgling operation.
“The approval demonstrates that the market has full confidence in the prospect of the aviation industry in Hong Kong,” a Hong Kong government spokesman said on Monday. “This will play a positive role in upholding Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub.”
The special administrative region government will take forward anti-epidemic measures together with the aviation industry, hoping to start anew with various sectors in post-pandemic times, the spokesman noted.
