Hongkong Airlines

  About Hong Kong Airlines

In September 2006 "CR Airways Limited" was renamed as "Hong Kong Airlines Limited" and introduced the first Boeing 737 passenger aircraft which had passenger routes between Hong Kong and the cities in PRC. The airline is based in Hong Kong and has its headquarters in the Tung Chung district. Hong Kong Airlines' main hub is at Hong Kong International Airport. In its young history, the airline is currently flying to 25 destinations across Asia and the world and operates an all-Airbus fleet of 32 passenger aircraft. On 27 June 2006, Hainan Airlines secured a 45 per cent holding in the airline, and two months later, Mung Kin-Keung acquired the balance 55 per cent of the airline and became the controlling shareholder on 7 August; and its director on 13 August. The airline went through brand redesigning, and its new logo represents a Bauhinia flower, which is the symbol of Hong Kong where the airline is anchored. The airline made the biggest aircraft order on 21 June 2007, by ordering 51 narrow-and wide-body aircraft from European plane maker, Airbus, at an estimated value of US$5.6 billion.

Under its brand guideline, 'Fresh and Very Hong Kong', this service-oriented airline actively promotes management efficiency and strives to improve the management process. In firsts of the many milestones, the year 2010 was pivotal in the rapid growth of the airline with Hong Kong Airlines officially joining the IATA and its operating fleet size reaching ten aircraft. It was in the same year that it introduced a wide-body aircraft, Airbus A330, which helped deliver better customer experience and tried to meet the needs of the increasingly popular routes. It also launched its first cargo freighter service with A330F. The first full cargo route was from Hong Kong to Hangzhou. Hong Kong Airlines has been the recipient of the internationally acclaimed four-star rating from Skytrax since 2011. By the year 2012, Hong Kong Airlines was operating at 20 aircraft and had launched new routes between Hong Kong and the Maldives. It had reached a new milestone by then of passenger traffic crossing four million.

Both domestic and international routes have grown since the year 2013, with new passenger routes being launched between Hong Kong and the Maldives, Miyazaki-Yancheng-Nanchan, North America including Vancouver and Los Angeles, San Francisco, Maldives, Manila and Moscow and many more. Including four daily flights to Beijing and five flights to Shanghai. In 2017, it ranked second in the "Best Regional Airline: Asia" category and in the year 2018 it was named one of the top 20 airlines in the world by Skytrax. The service-oriented airlines' Company Management functions acquired the international certification of ISO 9001:2008 Quality Management System (QMS) in December 2014 which has since been upgraded to ISO 9001:2015 standard in July 2018. With the addition of enhanced business class dining experience, Hong Kong Airlines is working consistently towards giving passengers world-class experience.

Fleet Size Of Hong Kong Airlines

The current fleet of Hong Kong Airlines comprises 44 aircraft in total. While the size remains 44, the entire fleet is made up of Airbus, with no room for other aircraft. There are 12 Airbus A320-200, 11 Airbus A330-200, 10 Airbus A330-300 and six Airbus A350-900 that are currently in service. As for the orders made by Hong Kong Airlines, they are currently expecting five Airbus A330-300 and five Airbus A350-900. Both are wide-body aircraft that are being expected to be delivered to them by the aircraft-manufacturing company. Hong Kong Airlines operates an all-Airbus fleet consisting of passenger and cargo aircraft. In the year 2007, the airline made its biggest order at an estimated value of US$ 5.6 Billion to make 51 narrow, and wide-body aircraft and the order was given to the European plane maker, Airbus. In the past, the airline did accommodate a mixed fleet that consisted of Boeing 737-300SF, Boeing 737-800, Bombardier CRJ-200ER and Bombardier CRJ-700.

Baggage Allowance

Hong Kong Airlines is quite meticulous when it comes to baggage allowance. They have made a tabular form to explain the baggage allowance protocols and where do you stand as a passenger. Since the airline offers a slew of provisions and accommodations, the baggage policy is quite strict. In case you are travelling in the economy or business class, the baggage rules change. While the range of baggage allowance can be between 10 kg to 30 kg, the dimension of the baggage is very important. For checked baggage, then the airline would not allow if the bag's dimension is not within 158 cm. Similarly, there are certain restrictions with respect to the carry-on baggage too that passengers should know about. Since the rules apply differently to different ticket-holders, the best thing to do would be to peruse through their website and know more about the same.

In-flight services

Business-class – Hong Kong Airlines in-flight services for Business Class on long haul flights has 180-degree flatbeds with direct access to the aisle. The airline offers a best-in-class experience for passengers starting from arrival at the airport to when onboard. The business class seats for short duration flights in the airline's Airbus aircraft are comfortable with attention being given to the minor details which includes everything, right from the fabric selection of the seats to in-flight entertainment. The seats offer better legroom for utmost comfort. The WiFi packages ensure constant and uninterrupted connection so even while you're in the sky, you stay connected and your work doesn't stop. Right from checking and replying to emails, to working on an important presentation, airlines ensure passengers connectivity. The seat can easily be turned into a workstation or an entertainment pad based on the passenger's preference. The business class passengers can enjoy seamless entertainment content on the personal 12-1-inch screen TV with latest TV shows, movies and other online content to keep you entertained through your journey. For enhanced Business Class dining experience the airlines have collaborated with renowned chefs Chris Cosentino and Gabriel Choy. They make sure to deliver an array of delicious meals available for you to savour.

Economy class - Economy class is designed to give a good experience to the passengers with its comfortable seating and design arrangements. The seats offer enough legroom, but the same can be extended by opting for extra legroom. Passengers can opt for it by logging to the website of Hong Kong Airlines. The airline's in-flight menu offers a variety of meals and snacks to choose from. Further, the airline also offers beverages. A prior booking needs to be made by the passengers for availing the same, or the same can be booked through their customer centre.

The economy-class seats are also equipped with WiFi to help the passengers stay connected with their work commitments or for leisure. The WiFi packages are available to purchase onboard, which will help you access the internet on your phone, tablet and laptop. On long haul flights, passengers are given complimentary tablets, which serve as an in-flight entertainment system, including video-on-demand.

Popular routes and top cities for Hong Kong Airlines

Hong Kong Airlines is decently connected with some domestic routes as well as some international routes. As Cathay Pacific has already claimed dominance in the international route market with its excellent connectivity, there is not all that much for Hong Kong Airlines. However, that hasn't stopped the airline from trying to be at the top of the game. Hong Kong Airlines majorly caters to destinations that surround Hong Kong. These would mean cities from China, Indonesia, Japan, South Korean, and other such countries. Some of the top cities that the airline operates from including Beijing, Changchun, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanning, Sanya, Tianjin, Hong Kong, Naha, Osaka, Tokyo, Almaty, Kuala Lumpur, Denpasar, Manila, Seoul, Bangkok, Istanbul, Ho Chi Minh City and more.

The airline also has codeshare agreements with airlines such as Air Astana, Etihad Airways, Air India, Royal Brunei Airlines, Fiji Airways, Air Mauritius, Asiana Airlines, Bangkok Airways, Garuda Indonesia, China Eastern Airlines, Hainan Airlines, Kenya Airways, Shanghai Airlines, South African Airways, Virgin Australia and Turkish Airlines. This helps the airline receive more destinations in its list to attract passengers.

Why travel by Hong Kong Airlines?

One of the primary reasons behind choosing Hong Kong Airlines over the others is because the flight tickets are decently priced and are more affordable, as opposed to the expensive alternatives that are prevalent in the market. The fact that Hong Kong Airlines has great domestic route connectivity helps attract passengers. Not to mention how the ticket booking process has been eased. Passengers can now book a Hong Kong Airlines flight ticket on their official website or other travel portals as it is available everywhere. Along with the flight ticket, passengers will also get to do web check-in, which is rather a convenient option that many travellers opt. Passengers who have booked their ticket can also find out flight status and Hong Kong Airlines' flight schedules to know by what time it would be ideal for reaching the airport.