China News Service, May 23. According to Hong Kong's Sing Tao.com report, after two years of preparation and deployment, Qiu Yinghua, chief executive of aviation in the Greater Bay Area, revealed that preparations for departure are in full swing. The aircraft will be delivered to Hong Kong in July, and is currently waiting for the SAR government to complete the approval documents. It is estimated that the maiden voyage will be between June and July at the earliest. In addition to going to and from Southeast Asian cities, it will also provide services to and from Shanghai depending on the situation in the mainland. , Beijing and other major cities flights.
The two-year-old Greater Bay Area Airlines was officially approved by the Civil Aviation Department for the "Air Operator's License" in October last year, and was issued a license by the Air Transport Licensing Authority in February this year. , Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and other places, of which 48 destinations are first- and second-tier cities in the mainland, accounting for nearly half.
Qiu Yinghua explained that Zhuhai has inland routes, Shenzhen has international and inland routes, but most cities in the Greater Bay Area do not have direct flights. Therefore, the company hopes to increase flights for the Greater Bay Area, connecting sea, land and air routes, so that Guests from the Greater Bay Area can come to Hong Kong from different channels such as high-speed rail, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and the Haitian Ferry Terminal, and transfer planes to and from more than 200 cities around the world. He called this model a multimodal transport.
He said frankly, "Hong Kong has only 7 million people and cannot support so many airlines." However, the Greater Bay Area has a population of more than 70 million, accounting for 13% of the national production value. The Greater Bay Area market is very huge.
The establishment of Greater Bay Area Airlines is precisely because the 14th Five-Year Plan supports Hong Kong's integration into the Greater Bay Area, which will bring future development opportunities and potentials in terms of economy, education and technology.
Yau Yinghua continued to point out that there are more than 100 airlines operating at Hong Kong International Airport, and there are 1,100 flights per day during peak hours. As long as you grasp the pulse of the market, take advantage of existing advantages, and cooperate with the implementation of co-location inspections, connecting passengers do not need to go through customs in two places separately. , etc. Hong Kong has inland routes, which is beneficial to greatly enhance the status of Hong Kong's aviation hub.
Over the past two years, waves of epidemics have hit the aviation industry hard. Qiu Yinghua admitted that the epidemic made the company need to re-estimate various expenses and manpower to achieve more income and reduce expenditure.
As for the introduction of aircraft, the company tentatively plans to continue leasing the aircraft, and the third Boeing 737-800 aircraft is expected to be delivered to Hong Kong from Norway next month.
He pointed out that the initial plan was to expand the fleet to 30 aircraft in the first five years, but the epidemic has slowed down.
If the market recovery accelerates, it is not ruled out that more aircraft will be introduced as soon as possible.
When asked about the latest sailing time, Qiu Yinghua said that it is necessary to observe the quarantine requirements and the overall market demand. There are still too many uncertainties, and it also involves the cost of isolation after returning to Hong Kong after traveling abroad.
He expects to make the first flight before July 1st or the summer vacation at the latest. First, he can take off at several destinations in Southeast Asia, and he will also study whether it can reach the mainland destinations. "If we can make the first flight, we hope to fly to Shanghai and Beijing first. Wait for these big mainland cities."
Qiu Yinghua also estimated that after the epidemic, the demand for outbound travel will become very urgent, and flying will become the new normal. There may be a V-shaped rebound and it is difficult to find a person. Southeast Asian tourist spots such as Thailand, Singapore, and Malaysia are believed to be very popular. Japan And South Korea will also be a popular country.