Letters | Hong Kong must not let Covid-19 kill airmail services to the UK and beyond
Throughout my 40 years in Hong Kong there has been an excellent airmail service, that is, until the appearance of Covid-19. Its excellence was reflected in speed – typically four days door to door, certainly less than one week; low cost – lately HK$4.90; and convenience – just put the letter in one of the many postboxes.
Presumably the trigger for suspension of the service at the beginning of the year was the sharp reduction in international flights, but the frequency of these is increasing, and surely airlines would now be more than happy to carry mail as a modest boost to their depressed revenues?
The government now only offers Speedpost which, contrary to its name, has never been speedier than ordinary airmail, is much more expensive and is inconvenient to use, requiring a visit to the post office.
Courier services such as DHL are available and, though very efficient, they are also very expensive, especially for simple letters or cards.
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Behind the scenes: the journey of a letter in Hong Kong
The fear is that Covid-19 may be used as an excuse to terminate a service which, unlike consumers, the government perhaps does not like – as it may well have been loss-making and subsidised.