Hong Kong Airlines (“the Company”) welcomes and fully supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region’s (HKSAR) First Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development (2026–2030) (the “Plan”) and the 2026 Policy Address (the “Policy Address”), announced by the Chief Executive. The Company firmly believes that longterm planning, complemented by annual policy measures, will help the industry plan its business development more systematically, further consolidate Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub, and seize opportunities to better integrate into and serve the national development.
Hong Kong Airlines supports the Plan’s direction to continue launching new routes, strengthen civil aviation co-operation with relevant regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative, and expand the route network connecting these regions. The Company hopes that the Government will continue to pursue new air services agreements and expand traffic rights, creating favourable conditions for local airlines to serve new destinations, increase flight frequencies and optimise their route networks in response to market demand. Actively seizing opportunities for growth, the Company has progressively introduced services to destinations including Xining, Hulunbuir, Lanzhou, Lijiang and Da Nang in recent years, further strengthening connections between Hong Kong and these regions. Building on its steadily expanding international route network, Hong Kong Airlines hopes to make fuller use of Hong Kong’s role as a two-way gateway, facilitating overseas travel for Mainland passengers via Hong Kong while offering international travellers more options to explore different Mainland cities, thereby fostering business, tourism and cultural exchanges.
Hong Kong Airlines also welcomes the Plan’s measures to enhance the intermodal transport network of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) and continue improving the “Fly-Via-Zhuhai-HK” service. The Company believes that more convenient cross-boundary connections will help expand Hong Kong International Airport’s passenger catchment area, encouraging more travellers from the GBA and other parts of the Mainland to travel via Hong Kong to and from destinations worldwide. On 27 May this year, the Company relocated its checkin counters for departing passengers to the new Terminal 2, providing travellers departing from Hong Kong with more spacious surroundings and next-generation smart check-in facilities. Transit passengers on selected long-haul flights can continue to enjoy lounge benefits at Club Autus, located in the Midfield Concourse of Terminal 1, further enhancing their transfer experience in Hong Kong. Through co-ordinated improvements to airport facilities, crossboundary transport and aviation services, the Company hopes to translate travel demand within the GBA into a long-term driver of growth for Hong Kong’s aviation and tourism industries.
In smart tourism, Hong Kong Airlines is responding to the Government’s direction to harness AI to enhance the visitor experience by collaborating on AI applications that enable travellers to express their travel needs in natural language and receive flight recommendations and booking services. The Company looks forward to working with industry partners to explore further applications of digital services, offering travellers a more convenient and personalised experience throughout their journey, from itinerary planning and flight bookings to exploring their destinations.
In addition, Hong Kong Airlines supports the Government’s efforts to develop an industry ecosystem for aircraft parts processing and trading, and welcomes the strategic development of the sustainable aviation fuel industry. The Company hopes that, in taking this work forward, the Government will give due consideration to airlines’ practical operating conditions, supply chain stability and cost competitiveness.
Mr Bruce Wang, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hong Kong Airlines, said: “Rooted in Hong Kong, our growth is closely intertwined with the city’s development, and we have consistently moved forward alongside its aviation and tourism industries. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we will embrace this milestone as a new beginning, continue to deepen our presence in the local market and fully leverage our strengths as an airline connecting Hong Kong, the Mainland and the world. We will actively contribute to Hong Kong’s tourism and economic development, seizing opportunities and moving towards the future together with the city.”
“As we enter our next phase of development, we are committed not only to expanding our route network but also to developing a diversified range of aviation services with Hong Kong at the heart of our operations. We will combine convenient air connections with a service experience that reflects Hong Kong’s distinctive character, while deepening collaboration with local tourism, cultural and leisure brands, enabling passengers to experience the city’s unique appeal from the moment they step on board. Through our aviation services, we aim to drive tourism development, create greater value through cross-sector collaboration, and attract more visitors from the Mainland and overseas to broaden Hong Kong’s visitor source markets. By translating Hong Kong’s connectivity strengths as an international aviation hub into a long-term driver of local development, we seek to make an even greater contribution to consolidating its hub status and promoting the high-quality development of its tourism industry.”
“The Plan and the Policy Address provide long-term direction for the industry. We look forward
to deepening our collaboration with the HKSAR Government and partners across different sectors to steadily optimise our routes and services in line with market demand. While upholding safety standards and service quality, we will translate policy opportunities into tangible improvements in travel convenience, contributing to Hong Kong’s development as an international aviation hub and to the city’s economic growth.”
