The new Hong Kong-based Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) has officially applied for the rights to operate 104 scheduled flights across Asia-Pacific. The new start-up is expecting to commence services in summer 2021.
In the submission form filed on January 22, 2021,GBA applied for 48 destinations from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) to Mainland China. In addition, GBA filed for routes to Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and several nations of Southeast Asia. The submission form indicates Greater Bay Airlines intends to use Boeing 737 aircraft for its services.
Most of the routes for which the Greater Bay Airlines applied were left vacant after Cathay Dragon had been shut down as part of restructuring of its parent company Cathay Pacific.
The Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) of Hong Kong is giving other parties to submit their objections within 14 days after the application was filed.
Greater Bay Airlines founder Bill Wong Cho-bau (known as Huang Chubiao in Mainland China), who owns the Shenzhen-based Donghai Airlines, told the South China Morning Post that he intended to invest HK$2 billion (US$258 million) to launch Greater Bay Airlines with a starting staff strength of 300.
“If I launch an airline in Hong Kong, I can make use of the synergy and network in the Greater Bay Area – from Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Hong Kong – and gain the most out of it,” Wong told the publication.