Air Belgium has cancelled plans to resume its Hong Kong service, but the start-up has vowed to begin routes two destinations in mainland China this summer and hopes to begin flights to the Americas by next winter.
Hong Kong-based low-cost carrier HK Express' Stephen Milstrey speaks to Routesonline about the challenges of building a route network from one of the most slot-constrained airports in the world. He also explains why destinations need to change their thinking when it comes to airline incentive programmes.
This week: HK Express is resuming service to Thailand’s capital city Bangkok and Avianca Argentina is to open a new international service to Sao Paulo in Brazil.
The busiest passenger air routes on earth have been revealed in a new study published by Routesonline, with the Asia-Pacific region dominating the top 100. The research has been released ahead of World Routes 2018, taking place from 15-18 September in Guangzhou, China.
This week: Cathay Pacific to add tenth destination in North America; Qatar Airways increases Scandinavian focus; and Vietjet set for second link to Japan.
The start-up is to delay its first flight to Hong Kong, scheduled to take off on 30 April, because it has not yet received permission to fly through Russian airspace.
Seven months after its inaugural flight to Hong Kong from Melbourne, Virgin Australia is to launch a second route to the autonomous territory as it seeks to build on a strategy that has resulted in its best underlying first-half profit performance in a decade.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport remains the world’s busiest airport, according to preliminary traffic figures, but Beijing Capital is closing the gap. The statistics - which reveal the top 20 airports by passenger numbers - also show there is no stopping China’s rapid growth, with 12 new airports beginning commercial air service during 2017.
As hundreds of airlines from around the world gather in Barcelona for World Routes 2017, Routesonline can reveal the top international routes by passenger numbers.
Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific is to expand its route network and increase its fleet of Airbus A350-900 aircraft as it grapples with "intense competition", particularly on international routes to and from China.
The huge surge in demand for flights across Asia is placing severe constraints on capacity. Ahead of his participation at Routes Asia HKIA director C K Ng outlines how he is aiming to ensure the airport keeps pace including its new £15bn third runway.
Subject to regulatory approvals, the new service will operate for a three month period between December 1, 2017 and February 28, 2018 and will complement Cathay Pacific’s current seasonal double daily flights to Auckland as well as strategic partner Air New Zealand’s daily service between Hong Kong and Auckland.
Cathay Pacific will offer a four times weekly service between its Hong Kong International Airport hub and Barcelona from July 2, 2017, subject to final government approval, continuing through the peak travel months until October 27, 2017. This will be the first ever non-stop offering between Hong Kong and Barcelona.
The carrier, part of the HNA Group, will offer a daily flight between Hong Kong and Vancouver from June 30, 2017, initially using a 283-seat Airbus A330-200 but likely to be switched to the A350-900 once the first of its aircraft are delivered towards the end of next year.
There has been a steady increase year-on-year in the number of Hong Kong and China travellers visiting New Zealand. According to official figures from Statistics New Zealand, as of March 2016, the total number of visitors from Hong Kong and China were up 19.1 percent and 27.8 percent, respectively.
