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HONG KONG, July 13, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Airlines has received numerous honours in the 2016 World Airline Awards. Besides being awarded the highly-esteemed Skytrax 4-star rating, Hong Kong Airlines also ranked third place in Skytrax "Best Regional Airline: Asia". Mr. Stanley Kan, Director of Hong Kong Airlines' Service Delivery and Mr Christopher Birt, General Manager, Inflight Services were invited to receive the honour on behalf of the airline at a ceremony staged by Skytrax at the Farnborough International Airshow Trade 2016 yesterday.
Hong Kong Airlines has recorded rapid growth since its inception in 2006. It has been awarded the highly-esteemed Skytrax 4-star rating since 2011 in the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards. Followed by the "World's Most Improved Airline" honour by Skytrax in 2014, as well as entering into the top 10 list of the "World's Best Regional Airline" for the first time last year, Hong Kong Airlines garnered recognition once again this year, achieving third place in "Best Regional Airline: Asia", and ranking 29th in the "Top 100 Airlines". The conferred awards mark Hong Kong Airlines' achievements and improvements in recent years.
Mr. Zhang Kui, President of Hong Kong Airlines said, "As a full-service airline firmly rooted in Hong Kong, Hong Kong Airlines is committed to a people-oriented service principle by bringing more quality and pleasant travel experiences to our passengers. This year marks Hong Kong Airlines' 10th anniversary, we are deeply honoured to have received the awards. I would like to thank Skytrax for recognising our progress in recent years. On behalf of our highly devoted and professional team, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the passengers and industry partners who have been supporting us all along. Hong Kong Airlines already launched several international routes early this year, including the Gold Coast and Cairns in Australia, Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Kuching in Malaysia, and, Okayama and Tokyo in Japan. We will be launching the Auckland route in the second half of this year. Moving forward, Hong Kong Airlines will be actively expanding its footprints internationally; expanding the coverage across the Asia-Pacific region, and providing passengers with a wider variety of convenient travel destinations."
Mr. Edward Plaisted, Chairman of Skytrax complimented Hong Kong Airlines' quality inflight services, which is on par with regional airlines from other part of the world. Mr. Plaisted also acknowledged Hong Kong Airlines new services to Australia this year, as well as the airline's moving of its Hong Kong operations to the new Midfield Concourse (MFC), where it will open a new VIP lounge later this year.
These honours from Skytrax attest to the rapid development of Hong Kong Airlines over the years. In just 10 years, Hong Kong Airlines has grown remarkably. The current fleet of 31 aircraft is expected to increase to more than 50 aircraft by 2018. Hong Kong Airlines carried over 5.6 million passengers in 2015, an increase of 10% year on year, maintaining stable growth.
In addition to introducing a number of Asian routes, including Phnom Penh in Cambodia, Kuching in Malaysia, Okayama and Tokyo in Japan, Hong Kong Airlines has actively expanded its international route network. The new route to Australia's Gold Coast was launched, the first direct flight to Gold Coast from the Pearl River Delta, giving full play to Hong Kong's advantages as a travel hub and attracting new customers from the Pearl River Delta region. The new route to Auckland will be launched in the second half of the year as well.
As the first and major carrier to use MFC, Hong Kong Airlines will launch its brand new VIP lounge at the new concourse. Currently over 90% of Hong Kong Airlines' flights including both departure and arrival use MFC, enabling passengers to enjoy the convenience of the airbridge, contributing to a more pleasant flight experience. This change has enhanced the airline's on-time performance, which demonstrates Hong Kong Airline's persistence and dedication to service improvement. Furthermore, Hong Kong Airlines has extended route networks via codeshare partnerships and interline agreements this year, including the commencement of codeshare partnerships with Air Astana, extending the route network to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Hong Kong Airlines has signed codeshare agreements with 10 airlines and 67 interline agreements in order to provide passengers with flexible travel options.
To support future business expansion, including its plan to launch more than 10 new destinations this year, Hong Kong Airlines plans to recruit 1,000 staff in 2016, offering well-planned career paths and excellent management systems. To enhance the training for flight crew, as well as to promote the development of the local aviation industry, Hong Kong Airlines has invested HK$1.8 billion in the Hong Kong Airlines Aviation Training Centre (HKAATC) at Chek Lap Kok. The HKAATC is targeted for completion in 2018, with the groundbreaking ceremony held in March earlier this year. The Centre is expected to nurture more talent and enhance the competitiveness of Hong Kong's aviation industry.
Skytrax is a research consultancy specialising in the air transport industry. Since 1999, Skytrax has launched the annual global customer satisfaction "World Airline Survey", and has come to set highly authoritative industry benchmarks. The annual "World Airport Awards" is the most prestigious awards ceremony in the aviation industry, and has been called "The Oscars" of global aviation.
About Hong Kong Airlines
Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines is a full-service airline firmly rooted in Hong Kong with a wide destination network covering over 30 major cities across the Asia Pacific region, including Gold Coast, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Tokyo, Sapporo, Bangkok, Bali and Okinawa. The current operating fleet is made up of 31 Airbus aircraft with an average age of around 3.8 years, consisting of 26 passenger aircraft and 5 freighters, being one of the youngest fleet in the world. Hong Kong Airlines has been awarded the internationally acclaimed 4-star rating from Skytrax since 2011. Adhering to the concept of "Fresh and Very Hong Kong", Hong Kong Airlines is committed to "Bringing Greater Journeys Sky High", and is dedicated to providing a pleasant and enjoyable journey to all passengers.
For more information, please visit:
Official website: www.hkairlines.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/hkairlines
Sina Weibo: weibo.com/hongkongairlines
WeChat and Instagram ID: hkairlines
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-airlines
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