New airline flies Sydney-HK route after inaugural flight touches down

On Saturday, Sydney Airport welcomed its 52nd air carrier, Hong Kong Airlines, when their inaugural flight touched down.

The new daily service is expected to boost seat capacity on the Sydney-Hong-Kong route by nearly 20%.

The airline’s arrival also signals the first expansion of air traffic rights between the two cities in 19 years; Cathay Pacific currently flies on the route.

Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines flies to 30 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region and more than 100 worldwide.

The airlines will use a 292-seat Airbus A330-300 aircraft on the service.

Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, says Hong Kong Airlines is their 52nd airline partner and comes from expanding the air rights.

“Expanding traffic rights delivers far-reaching benefits – from greater choice and connectivity for passengers to stronger opportunities for tourism, trade and investment,” he says.

“A daily service like this is estimated to generate up to $120 million annually for the local economy, reinforcing the critical role aviation plays in driving prosperity across the region.”

NSW Tourism Minister Steve Kamper says the new service fits into their goal of growing the state’s airline capacity by 8.5 million seats.

“Hong Kong is a priority international market for NSW, with incoming travellers contributing substantially to the NSW visitor economy,” he says.

“We want to grow our visitor economy and the best way to do this is by increasing airline capacity and unlocking new international markets for NSW.”

Airline President Jeff Sun says the service is a “significant step” in their transformation from regional to international airline.

“Sydney is not only a popular destination for leisure and business travel but also one of Australia’s most vital economic hubs,” he says.

“The expansion of the bilateral traffic rights agreement allows us to offer more choice to travellers in both cities.”