Hong Kong minister voices concern as Greater Bay Airlines axes 200 flights

Hong Kong’s transport minister has expressed deep concerns over Greater Bay Airlines’ flight cancellations, with the carrier attributing the operational woes to delays in the delivery of newly ordered aircraft and the need to conduct inspections on existing planes.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, the airline, the smallest among the city’s carriers, apologised to affected passengers while promising to allocate more staff to help customers rebook or refund their tickets and waive all related fees.

The Transport and Logistics Bureau said its chief Mable Chan had reached out to senior executives of the airline on the phone to express her deep concerns after being informed about the cancellations.

“The bureau will arrange a meeting with airline representatives to understand the latest developments, and request they submit a report promptly and handle the situation with the primary goal of safeguarding passengers’ rights while providing a detailed explanation to affected passengers as soon as possible,” it said.

Chan also stressed that the smooth operation of Hong Kong’s airport depends on the cooperation of all airlines, especially local carriers, and called on Greater Bay Airlines to present a comprehensive plan to mitigate the impact on passengers.

“Due to delays in the delivery of newly ordered aircraft, and the need for some aircraft in our fleet to undergo scheduled safety inspections as required, [the airline had to] temporarily take them out of service and our overall flight schedule has been impacted,” the airline said.