Hong Kong’s Greater Bay Airlines has been awarded a licence to begin flying 104 routes. The Air Transport Licensing Authority said on Monday (21 February) that the carrier had been given a five-year permit to operate scheduled commercial flights with immediate effect. “Under the licence, Greater Bay Airlines Company Limited may operate scheduled journeys for the carriage in Hong Kong of passengers, cargo or mail over 104 routes at unlimited frequency from and to Hong Kong International Airport,” the authority said in a statement. The routes cover mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and other destinations in the Asia-Pacific region.
The airline’s chief executive Algernon Yau Ying-wah, a former Cathay Pacific veteran, called the licence an important milestone for the airline. The start-up carrier received its Air Operating Certificate in October last year. The air licence is required to operate scheduled passenger and cargo flights, and the airline said it could now expedite preparations, such as applying for operating permits from different aviation authorities of places where it planned to fly. “We are excited to bring a new airline choice to customers, at a time when travellers are yearning for the opportunity to fly again soon,” Yau said. Greater Bay Airlines took delivery of its first aircraft, a Boeing 737, in September last year and said it had plans to receive its second and third aircraft “soon”.
The airline said in a statement on Monday it would receive its second and third Boeing Co 737-800 planes soon and plans to expand its fleet significantly over the next five years in line with market demand.