Competition is hotting up for airlines thanks to new air-service agreements with India and the mainland. The deals have effectively lifted restrictions on flights between Hong Kong and these destinations.
Airlines have immediately responded by adding new routes and increasing the number of flights on existing routes to the mainland and India. Cathay Pacific Airways will increase its flights to Mumbai from four per week to 28 by early June.
Even carriers, such as Singapore Airlines, that do not operate direct routes from Hong Kong to these countries will benefit from the increase of passengers into Hong Kong brought about by the new agreements.
'The opening up between Hong Kong and mainland China will bring in travellers from different areas of China. These Chinese travellers can benefit from our daily services to San Francisco, and also the most frequent direct daily services to Singapore,' said a spokesman from Singapore Airlines, which expects the Indian and the mainland markets to continue to grow as these countries become more open.
Naturally, Cathay has also responded positively to the new air service agreements. 'This further enhances the status of Hong Kong as the premier gateway to the mainland and a leading international aviation hub,' said Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung.
Despite the inevitable increase in competition between airlines, she said that her company welcomed other carriers bringing passengers into Hong Kong.