Hong Kong Airlines Gets Rights into Taiwan

Posted 06/01/2012

Hong Kong Airlines has revealed that it has been granted traffic rights to launch flights into Taiwan with immediate effect.  The carrier says it will inaugurate four daily passenger flights and all-cargo services with 650 tonnes of freight per week to Taipei or Kaohsiung from a yet to be determined date in the first quarter of 2012.

The announcement follows the signing of a revised Air Services Agreement between aviation authorities in Taiwan and Hong Kong which will further liberalise the market between the two countries.  This will permit passenger flights to increase from 170 to 205 per week and cargo tonnage from 1,700 tonnes to 3,000 tonnes per week for each side and enable new entrants like Hong Kong Airlines to enter the market.

There are currently five airlines offering flights between Taiwan and Hong Kong.  Cathay Pacific Airways dominates the capacity in this market with a 37.6 per cent share of the available seats, followed by China Airlines (30.3 per cent), Dragonair (15.4 per cent), EVA Air (13.7 per cent) and Mandarin Airlines (3.0 per cent). 

“Taiwan is one of the fast-developing passenger and cargo markets in Asia, with continued strong and fast-growing demand in the tourism and freight industries,” a spokesman for Hong Kong Airlines confirmed.  “The new allocation of traffic rights not only provides Hong Kong and mainland passengers with a wider choice and enhanced convenience.”

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