iscover
Hong Kong Airlines has joined Qantas and Cathay Pacific as the third carrier operating between Melbourne and Hong Kong.
Flights are now operating three times per week from Melbourne on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, adding 93,000 seats per year, with the inaugural HX013 service touching down at 11:17am on Saturday aboard the A330-300 B-LHL.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
“We’re proud to welcome Hong Kong Airlines as Melbourne Airport’s 41st carrier, and in doing so opening up new options for travellers and exporters into one of Asia’s most exciting regions,” Jim Parashos, chief of aviation at Melbourne Airport, said.
“The recent expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia by the federal government played a key role in bringing this service to Melbourne, which will contribute millions of dollars to the local economy.
“There are now more airline groups flying between Melbourne and Hong Kong than there are flying most Australian domestic routes, so it’s no surprise that consumers are making the most of the increased choice to head overseas or to come and explore Australia.”
Hong Kong Airlines’ arrival comes after the Commonwealth government last year authorised increasing passenger capacity for Hong Kong to 84 flights per week, up from 70, and with no limits on cargo services.
Tony Ma, chairman of the airline, said the service “not only strengthens our international network coverage but also enriches the long-haul travel options available for our customers”.
“We are honoured to operate this route with our Airbus A330 wide-body aircraft, further deepening exchanges between two of the world’s most vibrant cities and promoting connectivity between Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, the wider Asian region, and Australia,” he said.
“This was made possible through the concerted efforts of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and Australian governments to expand the bilateral air services agreement, and the tremendous support from our industry partners in both cities.”
Melbourne Airport last month saw its busiest-ever November for international passengers, with a total of 1,017,435 – up 6.9 per cent on last November – while domestic traffic grew by 3.6 per cent and total passengers rose 4.7 per cent to 3,169,138.
Hong Kong is Melbourne’s fourth busiest international destination, behind Singapore, Auckland, and Denpasar.
