Hong Kong fully removed its strict border restrictions on 13th December 2022, and its mask mandate on 1st March 2023 – one of the last territories in the world to do so. Throughout their prolonged lockdown, airlines faced stringent measures and strict penalties, leading to many simply canceling their routes altogether. At its worst, airline capacity in April 2020 dropped to -92% compared to 2019 levels, and recovered to a meager -75% in November 2022. As we know by now, reopening presents its own challenges. So, with just over three months’ worth of reduced border controls under their belt, how is aviation recovering at one of the world’s pre-pandemic busiest megahubs?
Following its reopening, Hong Kong has rapidly added back over half a million seats, growing airline capacity to 1.7 million in March 2023, 56% below 2019 levels.
Hong Kong’s Aviation Recovery Inextricably Linked to Greater China’s Reopening
Despite removing its barriers to entry in December 2022, Hong Kong was…
Read further.
#OAG