bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Chris Wood


“His Excellency the Governor, Sir Andrew Caldecott […] was among a large crowd gathered at the aerodrome yesterday morning to witness the arrival of the Imperial Airways liner Dorado from Penang, with 16 bags of mail and a passenger, thus inaugurating a direct service from London to Hongkong,” ran the report in the South China Morning Post on March 25, 1936, under the headline “Dorado Welcomed at Kai Tak”.
Pilot Captain Lock said the Dorado would maintain a weekly schedule, leaving Penang on Monday mornings to arrive in Hong Kong on Tuesday mornings, then departing on Fridays and arriving in Penang on Saturdays.
This schedule would connect with the air service from London to Australia via Penang.
IN PICTURES: British Airways celebrates 80 years of connecting Hong Kong and UK
Today, hailing the London to Hong Kong route as “direct” might be deemed false advertising.
As the Post reported in its first mention of the proposed air link, on November 14, 1933, “So far as can be estimated, the fare for the trip will be about £175. This will include hotel accommo­dation at stopping places, as well as tips, etc. […]
“The estimate of ten or eleven days as the likely duration of the flight from Hongkong to London is based on day flying only. In course of time, however, night flying might be likely along part of the route, notably from Cairo to Bagdad. […] There would be numerous stops, with an average of three or four flights a day.”
On March 16, 1936, a Reuters report in the Post stated: “Aeroplanes of the DH-86 type have accommodation for eight pass­engers, but the number to be carried [between Hong Kong and Penang] is uncertain owing to the large load of petrol necessary for the journey via Tourane [Da Nang] and Saigon [Ho Chi Minh City] which is 1,750 miles. […]
“Passengers will sleep at Saigon and Tourane according to which way they are flying.”
The next day, March 17, the Post reported, “The fares to London, Penang, and Singapore have been established as follows :– London,₤£175; Penang, £30; Singapore, £35.”


What is Hong Kong’s N+ Museum? And why is it calling out the ‘cringe’ nostalgia trend?

How a Hong Kong fish ball maker from Kowloon Walled City became a thriving family business

What’s behind Hong Kong’s retro display craze sweeping supermarkets, shops and stations?

In pictures: Hong Kong’s coldest days from the 1970s to 2010s

Old Hong Kong

Hong Kong to London in 11 days: first ‘direct’ flight lands in 1936

Imperial Airways’ Dorado at Kai Tak.

This South China Morning Post report dated March 25, 1936 with the headline HONGKONG airmail Dorado welcomed at Kai Tak Governor's greeting. 25MAR1936 [02OCTOBER2016 FIRST MENTION POST MAGAZINE]

Magazines

PostMag

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

How the SCMP reported the inaugural ‘direct’ air service between Kai Tak and London (eight passengers; £175, hotels included)


From our archives

Hong Kong to London in 11 days: first ‘direct’ flight lands in 1936

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}How the SCMP reported the inaugural ‘direct’ air service between Kai Tak and London (eight passengers; £175, hotels included)

How the SCMP reported the inaugural ‘direct’ air service between Kai Tak and London (eight passengers; £175, hotels included)