Hong Kong has fully restored global aviation hub status, IATA chief says
Willie Walsh argues some foreign airlines failed to return to full capacity due to supply chain and airspace issues rather than geopolitics
Hong Kong has fully regained its status as a global aviation hub, the head of an international association has said, arguing that some foreign airlines’ failure to restore capacity to pre-pandemic levels in the city was due to supply chain and airspace issues rather than geopolitics.
Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), told the Post on Tuesday at the organisation’s office in Geneva that he stood by his earlier conviction that the city would recover its world-class aviation hub status by the end of this year.
“And you know Cathay [Pacific Airways] will be at 100 per cent of 2019 capacity at the end of this year or from January next year,” he said of Hong Kong’s flag carrier.
He pointed out the strains on the city’s aviation industry had more to do with supply chain and airspace issues, rather than a lack of attractiveness as a destination or geopolitical reasons.
“The reason that some foreign airlines have not returned or built up the capacity they had is principally an aircraft and airspace issue. So it goes back to the supply chain,” he said.
“It’s because of the lack of availability of widebody aircraft … because of the additional maintenance time and checks that the existing aircraft require, much more so than anything to do with the market.
