HONG Kong's flag carrier cathay Pacific and HK Express are aiming to operate around 70 per cent of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023 with an aim to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024, ahead of the Asia-Pacific traffic forecast issued by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
In a statement, the carrier said 'it's committed to restoring passenger capacity and connectivity in the Hong Kong aviation hub to serve the needs of the Hong Kong and international travel markets'.
Since the recent adjustments to anti-pandemic measures for travellers and aircrew entering Hong Kong, the two carriers have already announced the addition of about 3,000 passenger flight sectors from October until the end of December this year.
CEO Augustus Tang said: 'The Group is on track to achieve its target of operating up to one-third of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels by the end of 2022. This represents a doubling of the capacity that we offered in August and is approximately eight times the average capacity the airline operated in the first half of 2022.'
He said that airlines around the world have been rebuilding their capacity and this requires a substantial amount of preparation with regards to crew and ground employees, aircraft reactivation and recruitment.
'We are taking a measured and responsible approach to managing our own road to recovery, The city's borders were closed for much longer than other markets and importantly, aircrew in Hong Kong were uniquely under quarantine constraints that weren't lifted until September.
'Despite all this, our recovery trajectory is in line with other carriers that don't benefit from a domestic market in terms of the time taken since borders began to open.'
Mr Tang added: 'We have sufficient pilots, cabin crew and operational employees to support our current flight schedules, and we are confident that our ongoing recruitment plans will ensure this remains the case throughout the recovery.'
The airline expressed confidence about the long-term prospects for the aviation sector in Hong Kong and looked forward to the complete removal of all travel constraints by the HKSAR Government to enable the full resumption of travel activities both to and from Hong Kong.
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In a statement, the carrier said 'it's committed to restoring passenger capacity and connectivity in the Hong Kong aviation hub to serve the needs of the Hong Kong and international travel markets'.
Since the recent adjustments to anti-pandemic measures for travellers and aircrew entering Hong Kong, the two carriers have already announced the addition of about 3,000 passenger flight sectors from October until the end of December this year.
CEO Augustus Tang said: 'The Group is on track to achieve its target of operating up to one-third of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels by the end of 2022. This represents a doubling of the capacity that we offered in August and is approximately eight times the average capacity the airline operated in the first half of 2022.'
He said that airlines around the world have been rebuilding their capacity and this requires a substantial amount of preparation with regards to crew and ground employees, aircraft reactivation and recruitment.
'We are taking a measured and responsible approach to managing our own road to recovery, The city's borders were closed for much longer than other markets and importantly, aircrew in Hong Kong were uniquely under quarantine constraints that weren't lifted until September.
'Despite all this, our recovery trajectory is in line with other carriers that don't benefit from a domestic market in terms of the time taken since borders began to open.'
Mr Tang added: 'We have sufficient pilots, cabin crew and operational employees to support our current flight schedules, and we are confident that our ongoing recruitment plans will ensure this remains the case throughout the recovery.'
The airline expressed confidence about the long-term prospects for the aviation sector in Hong Kong and looked forward to the complete removal of all travel constraints by the HKSAR Government to enable the full resumption of travel activities both to and from Hong Kong.
SeaNews Turkey