Hong Kong authorities are working with airlines to expand flight capacity and strengthen the city’s role as a transfer hub, seeking to capitalize on travel disruptions caused by the war in Iran, the South China Morning Post reported on Saturday, citing Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan.
Hong Kong may boost capacity on some direct flights to Europe and the US or add more transfer services, Chan told the newspaper. Completion of the airport’s three-runway system combined with the opening of a second passenger terminal building in May would further that aim, she said.
“We will seize the opportunity presented by the war in the Middle East to do a good job,” the newspaper cited Chan as saying.
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The aviation industry has been particularly hard hit by the fallout from the war, with routes disrupted and passengers putting off long-distance flights, especially those connecting through the Middle East.
Mable Chan, Hong Kong’s secretary for transport and logistics, seen on 6 December 2024 © Photo credit: Inmediahk (CC BY-SA 2.0)
Hong Kong’s de facto flag carrier, Cathay Pacific Airways, is set to double its passenger fuel surcharge from 18 March, passing on a surge in kerosene costs to customers. It joins other airlines in raising the levy on its single biggest expense as the war in Iran drives up oil prices.
Chan said the recent price fluctuations of crude and refined oil products show the need to expand the supply pool in Hong Kong, adding that Hong Kong International Airport’s permanent fuel storage tank ensures “a stable and sufficient supply.”
She also noted that the city has completed its first first green methanol bunkering operations with zero-carbon fuel supplied from mainland China.
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Hong Kong aims to provide half-price or a 25% discount on port and berthing fees for vessels using green fuels in order to lure international shipping lines, according to Chan.
