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Cathay adds UK capacity and HK Express receives first A320neo
December 16th 2016
Cathay Pacific Airways this week announced service increases to the UK in 2017. Read More » The carrier will increase frequency on the Hong Kong-Gatwick A350-900 route, launched in September, from four a week to daily from June 1, complementing its up to five times a day flights from London Heathrow to Hong Kong.
From June 2, Cathay will increase frequency between Hong Kong and Manchester from four to five a week, after it replaces the B777-300ER with the A350-900 on the route.
Last week, China’s HNA Group confirmed five new nonstop routes from China to the UK next year: Hainan Airlines will fly to London from Changsha (April), Chengdu (January) and Shenzhen (August). Hainan subsidiaries, Beijing Capital Airlines and Tianjin Airlines, plan to start Qingdao-London and Tianjin-Xian-London, respectively. In October, authorities agreed to raise the cap from 80 flights a week between the two countries to 100 – 50 for China and 50 for Britain.
Separately, HK Express, a Hong Kong-based HNA low-cost carrier, has become the first North Asian operator of the A320neo after it took delivery of the first of 12 on-order A320neos, on a flight from Toulouse via Muscat to Hong Kong. The aircraft is leased from Arctic Aviation Assets and is fitted with Pratt & Whitney’s PW1127Gs and a 188 seat single class layout. HK Express also took delivery of two A321s this month from an order of 12 of the type. Both aircraft are leased from Bank of Communications Financial Leasing).The LCC has 15 A320ceo, a neo and two A321s.
