Hong Kong Airlines will operate daily flights between its home base of Hong Kong and Manila, the capital of the Philippines from 1 June 2018 - the latest addition to the airline's expanding network.
According to official figures by the Hong Kong Tourism Board, visitor arrivals from the Philippines climbed to 894,489 in 2017 - a 13% growth from that in 2016. Hong Kong Airlines' new service will meet the increasing travel demand from the Philippines to Hong Kong and beyond, including popular destinations like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Vancouver in North America.
Mr Michael Ma, Director of Commercial at Hong Kong Airlines said: "Demand for flights between the Philippines and Hong Kong has been growing steadily, and we are pleased to offer customers more travel options than ever. Our entry into a new market marks an exciting milestone for us, and we look forward to developing this even further."
As one of the most densely populated cities in the world, Manila is the business and commercial centre of the Philippines with key industries such as banking and finance, retail, transportation, tourism, and real estate. The capital city is also home to the largest seaport in the country, making it one of the prime shipping gateways to the Philippines.
Hong Kong Airlines will deploy an Airbus A320 on the new route, which will be outfitted with a single-class configuration and offer 174 seats in Economy Class.
The schedule* for the new service can be seen below (All times local):
Flight Sector
|
Flight Number
|
Departure
|
Arrival
|
Frequency
|
HKG - MNL
|
HX781
|
2110
|
2300
|
Tue, Fri, Sun
|
HX781
|
2130
|
2300
|
Mon, Wed, Thu, Sat
| |
MNL - HKG
|
HX782
|
0655
|
0855
|
Daily
|
For more details and sales, please visit www.hongkongairlines.com,
Hong Kong Airlines has also been celebrating this week with a topping-out ceremony that was held at the airlines Aviation Training Centre (HKAATC) this week to mark a significant milestone in the building’s development. Equipped with world-class training facilities, the HKAATC covers an area of 5,858 square metres and is slated to be completed by the end of 2018, before opening in the first quarter of 2019. The facility will become one of the aviation training bases situated in the airport island of Chek Lap Kok, and help nurture a new generation of aviation elites.
The HK$1.8 billion investment is an affirmation of Hong Kong Airlines’ commitment to providing state-of-the-art training facilities for its aircrew. The HKAATC will have 12 simulator halls, an 8-metre high multi-function training hall and a 25-metre long swimming pool, which will be used for evacuation, safety and service training for various aircraft models.
The 11-storey HKAATC will have a total floor area of 22,907 square metres, and be used for pilot and cabin crew training, as well as provide ample office space and facilities for employees. It will also house a dedicated Integrated Operations Control Centre (IOCC) that is twice the size of the existing platform, enabling Hong Kong Airlines to monitor and control its flight operations on a real-time basis.
