Hong Kong's Greater Bay Airlines plans to make significant flight cuts in February and March, citing delays in the delivery of new aircraft as well as “laxity” in its flight schedule.
The airline announced in a statement on January 22 that it would cancel 128 flights over the next two months, impacting approximately 5,500 passengers.
“Delays in the delivery of new aircraft and the need for regular inspections of some existing aircraft have impacted the overall flight schedule,” the airline added.
After an internal investigation, Greater Bay Airlines, the city's newest and smallest airline, said: We also immediately took steps to strengthen relevant approval procedures regarding flight schedules. ”
The airline, which began operations in mid-2022, added that flights during the Chinese New Year holiday period at the end of January will not be affected by the reduction.
Greater Bay Airlines added that it is considering suspending flights to Seoul amid weak demand. The airline said the “performance” of the daily route was “unsatisfactory”.
Currently, it flies to 12 destinations from Hong Kong, including Bangkok, Tokyo and Narita, as well as Yichang and Zhoushan in mainland China.
The company currently operates eight Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The airline ordered 15 737 Max 9s in 2023, with the first scheduled to be delivered in 2024.
However, ongoing production delays at Boeing have delayed delivery dates. The airline's website states that the first Max 9 is expected to be delivered in 2025.
The operator said, “We will sincerely learn from this experience and review our response to prevent a similar situation from occurring.''
Hong Kong's Transport Secretary Marble Chan expressed “concern” over the cancellation and ordered the airline to “address this incident as soon as possible.” The city's Department of Transportation will also meet with airline representatives to better understand the situation.
