Exclusive | Airlines call on Hong Kong government to waive airport fees to ease losses caused by anti-government protest crisis
- Board of Airline Representatives, representing more than 70 carriers, requests city suspends costly landing and parking fees, among other operating costs
- Government has helped the aviation industry twice before – in 2009 and from 2000 to 2004 – but not on the scale now requested
A coalition of airlines has called on the Hong Kong government to waive costly airport landing and parking fees in a bid to help the aviation industry ride out the downturn caused by the city’s recent protest crisis.
The Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) of Hong Kong, representing more than 70 airlines flying to and from the city, also proposed cutting other airport operating costs, including rental fees for offices and lounges, according to a letter seen by the Post on Monday.
A basket of relief measures worth HK$19 billion (US$2.4 billion) was announced by the Hong Kong government last month, but it did not cover airlines.
In a letter to the Transport and Housing Bureau, BAR chairman Ronald Lam Siu-por, who is also a Cathay Pacific executive, said the loss of earnings had made flights to Hong Kong no longer financially viable.
“In view of the situation, the BAR urges the Hong Kong government to consider issuing short-term relief measures that can help airlines survive this extremely difficult time,” the letter stated. It did not specify how long the financial help should last.
“It would definitely help if the government could temporarily waive these operating expenses so that airlines operating in Hong Kong can remain commercially viable,” the airline body said.