Summary Hong Kong Airlines plans to revive North American long-haul flights using second-hand Boeing 787s, as per Bloomberg. CEO Jeff Sun Jianfeng disclosed the airline intends to purchase three used Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The airline aims to explore routes to Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver starting in 2025.
Hong Kong Airlines is reportedly looking to revive its North American long-haul network. To pursue this plan, the Hong Kong-based carrier has set its sights on second-hand Boeing 787 Dreamliner widebodies. In an interview with Bloomberg , the CEO of Hong Kong Airlines, Jeff Sun Jianfeng, said that the HNA Group-owned airline is looking to at least three used Boeing 787 Dreamliners.
These widebodies will be deployed on North American routes starting in 2025. Hong Kong Airlines named a total of four North American routes, including Los Angeles, Seattle, Toronto, and Vancouver, which are still being assessed. In a statement on August 22, 2024, announcing the resumption of the Hong Kong to Gold Coast route, the carrier's CEO said: "This includes actively exploring a return to the North American market, with routes to Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Seattle under consideration, to provide passengers with more international and diverse travel options.
" It is worth noting that the Hong Kong-based airline did not disclose where it would purchase the used Boeing 787 aircraft. Simple Flying has contacted Hong Kong Airlines for a comment. Reviving long-haul route operations The news about the airline's potential plans to add used 787s comes on the same day as Hong Kong Airlines announced that it will resume nonstop service between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Gold Coast (OOL) in Australia.
This service will begin on January 17, 2025, and run for five weeks until February 15, 2025. During this seasonal four-weekly service, Hong Kong Airlines will deploy its Airbus A330 widebody aircraft, which will offer approximately 6,000 seats. Commenting on the route resumption, the carrier's CEO said: "We expect Gold Coast to become a popular destination for our travellers, not only from Hong Kong but also from our extensive network in Greater China.
They will be able to enjoy the beautiful weather, stunning coastline and exciting activities that Queensland has to offer, further strengthening the cultural, tourism and business ties between these regions." Route Flight number Departure Arrival Frequency HKG-OOL HX015 22:00 08:55+1 Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday OOL-HKG HX016 10:25 17:20 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday The decision to relaunch long-haul operations follows a significant debt restructuring in 2022, which included a strategic shift toward long-haul markets and nearly bankrupted the company. As a result of financial difficulties, the airline had to slash half of its fleet.
According to ch-aviation data, Hong Kong Airlines currently operates a fleet of 28 aircraft with an average age of 12.5 years. The fleet comprises 15 Airbus A330s, 12 Airbus A320-200s, and a single Airbus A321-200 jet.
The airline's A330s can accommodate a total of 292 passengers in a two-class cabin configuration: 32 in business class and 260 in economy class..
