Tag Archives: Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific announced the launch of direct passenger flights to Riyadh  from 28 October 2024, further enhancing connectivity, trade and cultural exchange between its home hub, Hong Kong, and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. Cathay Pacific marked the announcement with a signing ceremony in Hong Kong, attended and witnessed by Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung, Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong SAR, Hamad Aljebreen, Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam and Saudi Air Connectivity Program Chief Executive Officer Majid Khan. The agreement was signed by Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau, and Saudi Air Connectivity Program Aviation Development Vice President Rashed Alshammari in the presence of distinguished guests from Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia. Secretary for Transport and Logistics Lam Sai-hung said: “The signing of the cooperation agreement marks a significant milestone for the already prospering aviation partnership between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia developed for almost two decades. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Cathay Pacific for their unfaltering support to the Government’s policies and for considering Hong Kong’s strategic development needs in their network planning. “The Hong Kong SAR Government is committed to strengthening aviation services on current major routes and routes along the Belt and Road with potential. Following Cathay Pacific’s initiative to commence services to Riyadh, we will be able to expand Hong Kong’s aviation network and enhance air connectivity between us and the Middle East, which further consolidates Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.” Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong SAR Hamad Aljebreen said: “The inauguration of this route is a …

Speaking with Tourismbreakingnews.ae at ITB China, Amr Adawy-Vice President Commercial – EgyptAir shared that they will be increasing flights from Cairo to China and beyond as it is a very important market for them. Generating business from China helps the growth of tourism in Egypt as one of the most visited destinations, mainly due to their rich culture and heritage. “China is a very important market to all airlines, as it is one of the biggest outbound markets. Currently, we fly four times a week to Shanghai and we are hoping to increase it to daily flights and go a step beyond and add destinations such as Hong Kong as well. We currently operate to 4 cities in China and soon we will be adding two more cities to make it six.” He reiterated that the importance of the market is not only the main land China but beyond as there are many travellers from China and beyond who explore Egypt and they are looking at increasing the number of flights to make it one of the most lucrative, touristic destinations,

Emirates has announced expanding its world-class Chauffer-drive service in Hong Kong, to now include the airline’s Business Class passengers arriving to and departing from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) starting from 1 February 2024. Through this complimentary service for Emirates’ First and now Business Class customers, the airline further elevates its offering for its premium travellers in Hong Kong with a convenient, door-to-door journey on the road that compliments the airline’s exceptional inflight experience and unique products. Emirates’ premium travellers can choose from a range of vehicles for their journey to and from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), guaranteeing both a luxurious and comfortable transport experience including Mercedes Benz S-Class or BMW Full Electric i7 models. The complimentary CDS service also entails unlimited radius coverage with the exception of restricted areas such as Lantau Island, Ma Wan, Discovery Bay, Park Island, Huang Guang Control Point, and Shenzhen Bay Port are not included in the CDS coverage. Upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), passengers will be guided by CDS Staff stationed at Arrival Hall to their designated vehicles. Departing passengers must meet the minimum pick-up time requirement of 3 hours prior to their flight departure. Emirates’ CDS can be booked at least 12 hours prior to departure through the “Manage My Booking” option on www.emirates.com, Emirates’ call centres or through travel agents. Emirates is the number one provider for complimentary Chauffeur Drive service, as the airline operates in more than 70 cities worldwide, which is more than any other airline. With the expansion of the service, Emirates will further expand its exclusive offerings for Hong Kong premium travellers with a personalised CDS experience that provides a sense of comfort and …

Emirates will ramp up frequencies to Hong Kong with a daily non-stop service from its Dubai hub, starting from 29 March 2023, adding to its existing daily flight from Dubai to Hong Kong via Bangkok and increasing the airline’s operations in the market up to 14 weekly flights. The resumed service will provide more capacity, choice and flexibility for travellers, as the airline continues to expand its global operations in line with sustained demand for international travel. Operated by an Airbus A380 aircraft, Emirates’ flight EK380 will depart Dubai at 10:45hrs and arrive in Hong Kong at 22:00hrs. The return flight EK381 will depart from Hong Kong at 00:35hrs and arrive in Dubai at 05:00hrs. All times are local. By bringing back its Dubai-Hong Kong flight EK380/EK381, Emirates is responding to the growing demand on the route and offering travellers the choice to fly non-stop or break their journeys in Bangkok. Tickets can be booked on emirates.com, the Emirates App, or via travel agents. Travellers are also encouraged to check the latest entry requirements. As one of Emirates’ key Asian destinations, the airline reaffirms its commitment to supporting Hong Kong’s post-pandemic recovery, increasing capacity to serve travellers originating from Dubai or connecting in Dubai from other cities in its global network. Throughout the pandemic, Emirates has supported the market’s local community by maintaining the trade links between Hong Kong and other strategic markets within its network, successfully transporting imports and exports through its airfreight division, Emirates SkyCargo. Emirates also provides increased connectivity for travellers to additional destinations beyond Hong Kong through its interline agreements with Cathay Pacific and HongKong Airlines, among others. The Emirates A380 experience remains highly sought after …

The Higher Organising Committee of IWAS World Games Sharjah 2019 confirmed that 1,462 participants from 50 countries are set to compete in the world’s largest wheelchair and amputee sports championship in Sharjah from February 10-16. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member Ruler of Sharjah, the IWAS World Games has returned to the emirate for the second time after its successful debut in the city in 2011. The eighth edition of the world championship brings together seven games including archery, athletics, badminton, swimming, shooting, table tennis and wheelchair fencing. New details of the upcoming biennial sports championship were revealed at a press conference held recently at Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa. Global athletes landing in Sharjah over the next few days are set to represent 50 competing nations confirmed by the Higher Organising Committee which include the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Algeria, Yemen, Syria, Iraq, Egypt, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Thailand, Turkey, Brazil, Portugal, Switzerland, Japan, Australia, Kenya, Russia, China, Ireland, Kazakhstan, Italy, South Africa, South Korea, Poland, Pakistan, Norway, Kenya, Latvia, Macau, Azerbaijan, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Serbia, France, Georgia, the UK, the US, Hong Kong, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Belarus and Comoros.

In the first four months of 2017, Cebgo, the leading low-cost airline of Cebu Pacific, has carried a total of 6.63 million passengers. Its Seat Load Factor reached 88.6% in April 2017, bringing the four-month total to 85.1%. Based on this increasing number of passengers, Cebu Pacific has ramped up the number of its carriers this year to support more domestic destinations, such as Siargao, Masbate and Tablas in Romblon. They are also planning to increase the frequency and capacity of selected domestic and international flights to places such as Cebu, Davao and Hong Kong starting July 4, 2017, following the delivery of two brand new aircrafts and upgradation of the existing flights on these routes from Airbus A320 to A330. “To reach our goal of flying 20 million passengers this year, we remain committed to expanding our domestic route network, where we lead with 37 destinations, and are looking at opportunities to grow our international market as well, meeting rising demands and sustaining our year-round low-fare proposition,” said Atty JR Mantaring, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Cebu Pacific.

Standard Chartered and Hotels.com launched a three-year global strategic alliance that offers Standard Chartered credit cardholders in five countries up to 12% off on hotel bookings around the world on Hotels.com. The alliance will cover the UAE, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia. Hotels.com offers hundreds of thousands of properties in more than 200 countries. Neil Daswani, Global Head of Corporate Partnerships, Retail Banking, at Standard Chartered said: “Our clients like to travel well and travel smart – this partnership gives them access to an enormous number of properties and value-for-money deals with a recognised global travel leader.” Abhiram Chowdhry, Vice President, Asia Pacific and Latin America for Hotels.com brand said: “With its well-established position as a premium bank across many Asia Pacific markets, Standard Chartered has a huge base of clients with a strong interest in travel. Our goal is to help streamline their travel planning by enabling the best travel booking experience, including access to useful travel information, great offers and a wide variety of lodging and accommodation options.”

2017 marks 40 years since Cathay Pacific began operating its first Dubai route from its hub in Hong Kong in 1977, marking its 20th destination and further bridging connectivity between the Middle East and South East Asia. The twice-weekly service marked the leading Asian airline’s second destination in the region. The first flight, serviced by a Boeing 707, launched within a year of Cathay Pacific adding its first Middle East route to Bahrain. Leaving Hong Kong on Wednesdays and Sundays, CX741 and CX740, initially flew via Bangkok and Bahrain. A direct Hong Kong-Dubai service was introduced just 24 years late in 1993, complimenting Cathay Pacific’s existing service to the United Arab Emirates via Bangkok and Mumbai. During the last 40 years, the route has seen a number of enhancements, including the introduction of the Super Tristar L1011 – Cathay Pacific’s first wide-body jet – on the Dubai route in 1982. The new aircraft supported the launch of a twice weekly Hong Kong to Mumbai service that operated via Bangkok and on to Dubai (CX751/750). By the end of 1989, the Hong Kong-Bangkok-Mumbai-Dubai service increased to four times a week. Throughout the last four decades, the route has been serviced by the airline’s Boeing 747-300, Boeing 777, and Airbus A330-300. By 2008, Dubai had expanded to 18 flights a week, 14 being direct operating twice a day, and one operating via Mumbai. The remainder were routed through Bangkok and on to Bahrain. Cathay Pacific Country Manager UAE & Oman, Ashish Kapur, said: “Since launching the Dubai route four decades ago, we have played an important part in bringing visitors from different parts of the world to this fast growing country. We, …

Qatar Airways will introduce additional capacity to its two South American gateways from December 1, 2016, when the airline upgrades its existing aircraft operating on the route, a Boeing 777-200LR, to a Boeing 777-300ER. The upgrade to the Extended Range aircraft will provide an additional 99 seats per day from the airline’s capital in Doha to Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires. Qatar Airways’ existing aircraft operating on the route is the Boeing 777-200LR with 259 seats, which will increase to 358 seats. Commercial passenger traffic from the two cities to Qatar Airways’ network of more than 150 destinations via Doha provides travellers with some of the  shortest travel times from South America to popular destinations such as Bangkok, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Beirut, Singapore, Delhi and Maldives, and many other places can be conveniently reached via Qatar Airways’ Doha hub. All flights to South America feature three full meal services with three cuisine options in Economy Class, including vegetarian meals and complimentary beverages. In Business Class, Qatar Airways offers a bespoke dine-on-demand service where premium passengers can select a five course meal at their leisure. Qatar Airways’ Boeing 777 offers 42 seats in Business Class and 316 in Economy Class. The airline was recently voted World’s Best Business Class and features a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system, Oryx One, with up to 3,000 options including the latest movies, TV series, music and games.