It was good to see Hong Kong’s smallest carrier taking big steps to get its house in order following its flight cancellations just before the Lunar New Year. Hopefully, Greater Bay Airlines is on course to reclaiming the reputation it earned through affordable services to less-travelled places and success riding out pandemic turbulence.
In a report to the Civil Aviation Department, the carrier acknowledged concerns over it scrapping 128 flights scheduled throughout February and March, disrupting plans for 5,500 passengers travelling to and from Thailand, South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The airline said commercial and planning management personnel hired in late 2024 failed to heed “required protocol” for cancellation decisions. The team took too much time, communicated poorly and did not consider the carrier’s “customer service response capability”. The report said the company has removed the team and “stringent, weekly management reviews” would be done from now on. High-level authorisation will also be required for future cancellations.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan said the airline must develop effective flight scheduling procedures, increase internal communication and strengthen customer management, especially during peak travel times. When trouble first emerged on January 21, passengers, authorities and the city’s consumer watchdog all demanded swift action. Refunds, rebooking, re-routing and compensation were offered and the carrier said issues were resolved by January 26, before the holiday peak.
Greater Bay Airlines said earlier that the cancellations were related to delays in new aircraft delivery and regular inspections of existing planes. Aircraft delivery is admittedly a global problem. Last year troubled US manufacturer Boeing reportedly delivered 54 per cent fewer new planes than in 2018.
It was not the first time the city has seen many flights cancelled around a critical holiday. Cathay Pacific Airways scrapped almost 800 flights between December 2023 and February 2024, citing pilot illness and recruitment woes. Now, however, the stakes are higher with Hong Kong’s airport now fully operating a new third runway. Local airlines, big or small, are expected to do their part to ensure smooth operations and lift the city’s reputation as an international aviation hub.
Greater Bay Airlines has a valuable market niche to fill. The city expects it to follow through and “seriously learn from the experience” and provide better, more reliable services in the future. Hong Kong’s aviation dreams depend on quality service and a commitment to fair competition from all airlines operating in the city.
