A NEW airline is trying to muscle into Hong Kong, a patch long dominated by stalwart Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. Founded by Shenzhen-based property magnate Bill Wong, Greater Bay Airlines has ambitions to fly to 104 destinations on the Chinese mainland and in North, South and Southeast Asia, including Bangkok and Phuket. Scheduled flights haven’t begun yet, with the carrier only receiving its air operator’s certificate at the beginning of the month and an air-transport license still to be procured. Starting an airline at the tail end of a pandemic that’s decimated travel worldwide may sound unwise. But 62-year-old Wong, dubbed the “Li Ka-shing of Shenzhen” for his expansive business empire, isn’t a total novice. He already owns one carrier, Shenzhen-headquartered Donghai Airlines Co., which services a raft of Chinese cities as well as a few regional routes. “We’re starting from new, so we don’t have the burden or the baggage,” Greater Bay Airlines’ CEO Algernon Yau said, suggesting that COVID has leveled the playing field. Greater Bay Airlines can be more agile and flexible than a legacy carrier like Cathay, he said. It also has a ready-made traveling public on its doorstep, considering the Greater Bay Area covers Hong Kong, Macao and cities in Guangdong Province with a population more than 86 million. “Now we’re all starting from the same line,” Yau said. “When business comes back, we can easily catch up and not be left behind.” Wong declined to be interviewed for this article. Cathay seems unperturbed by the potential for more competition. “There’s a wealth of potential for both business and leisure travel as the region continues to develop,” a spokesperson said. There have already been some setbacks, however. Greater Bay Airlines, which has three Boeing Co. 737-800 jets on lease and plans to grow its fleet to more than 30 by 2026, had hoped to begin operations on China’s National Day on Oct. 1 with a symbolic flight to Beijing. That never happened because it didn’t have a license. Also, despite Cathay and Hong Kong Airlines Ltd. not formally objecting to Greater Bay Airlines’ license request, the two have tried to stall the approval process, the South China Morning Post reported. A licensing hearing is scheduled for December. Hong Kong Airlines is the city’s only other commercial passenger airline that doesn’t belong to the Cathay group. Greater Bay Airlines is also unable to generate any cash at present because it can’t sell tickets. Wong told the South China Morning Post almost a year ago that he expected to spend around HK$2 billion (US$257 million) before obtaining regulatory approvals. Other details surrounding the airline’s financing are scant and Yau didn’t elaborate. “Investing in an airline is a very costly exercise,” said Yau, an ex-Cathay executive who for a period ran the airline’s now defunct Cathay Dragon unit. “Our investor Mr. Wong is a land developer in Shenzhen, so he has very strong financial support to this airline.” Despite the difficulties of the pandemic and Hong Kong’s COVID-zero approach, Greater Bay Airlines could benefit from its timing, with cheaper aircraft, less congested landing slots and plenty of available pilots, according to Brendan Sobie, Singapore-based consultant at Sobie Aviation. Yau said Greater Bay Airlines will be a “value carrier,” somewhere between a budget airline and a full-service one. Planes won’t have seat-back televisions and customers will be encouraged to use an app to customize their journey before boarding, including ordering food from McDonald’s, for example, or premium whiskey to be served in-flight. (SD-Agencies) | 