Hong Kong Airlines order A380s

[Zeke]

Hong Kong Airlines Ltd. will order Airbus SAS A380s as it challenges larger neighbor Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (293) and adds flights in China, the world’s fastest- growing air-travel market.

from Hong Kong Airlines to Order A380 Jumbos - Bloomberg

Your move Cathay, HKG passengers will have a choice to fly on a clapped out 744 or brand new A380s.

[spannersatcx]

or brand new 330/777/350's!

[Arfur Dent]

To a well financed Airline with even a slight respect for the travelling public, CX must seem like a desirable opponent. If this happens I wonder how many more 'Best Business Class in Asia/The World/The Universe' we will win??
How did we win any in the first place?

[chards]

I agree with Sweep the leg, who gives a toss if HKA have A380s or space shuttles- the thing is yet to prove it's worth and is a mega backpacker carrier at best. Give me small planes and upgrades anyday!

[FR8R H8R]

You would not be saying that if they suddenly announced an order for CRJs.

[captncannot]

Go rockstar it up in an EK F Class Private Suite, then try and convince yourself it isn't a gamechanging aircraft ...

[AAIGUY]

Exactly.

I've done EK F suite and their J seat.. hung out @ the bar in with sofa on the upper deck.. It's the only way to travel.

and they charge less for it than CX tries to for their regional A330/B777 J seat..
No question.

[Steve the Pirate]

Your move Cathay, HKG passengers will have a choice to fly on a clapped out 744 or brand new A380s.

I don't mean to appear flippant or dismissive of HKA but where are they going to fly these passengers to on their 380s? It's one thing to acquire aircraft but you need the routes to operate them on too. I wonder where HKA are planning to deploy these aircraft - any rumours on their route expansion plans?

[Fly747]

BA Too

Next year BA will have their new 380s on the HKG route, that route to LHR is enough alone for CX to need the 380 and quick.
In 2013 HKA will be bigger than KA. Who cares where they fly them STP it is surely time to take them seriously.
I also hear that CX are losing local pilots to them too, they are competition in many ways!

[Steve the Pirate]

Who cares where they fly them STP it is surely time to take them seriously.

That's why I said I didn't want to appear dismissive of HKA but my question is still relevant. There's no point getting shiny new aircraft if they've got limited routes to justify their purchase. I don't think for one minute that this hasn't been considered by HKA management but we can only speculate whether or not they will compete with CX on the same routes - unless anyone has any rumours as to their route expansion plans.......

As far as local pilots leaving CX in favour of HKA is concerned, that would only become an issue if significant numbers were involved. What that number might be, who knows? That said, your point about HKA being competition in more ways than one is valid.

[MD330]

As far as local pilots leaving CX in favour of HKA is concerned, that would only become an issue if significant numbers were involved. What that number might be, who knows? That said, your point about HKA being competition in more ways than one is valid.

So all that been said and accepted, it seems all the criticism and the thread "Demise of HKA" should now be withdrawn.

Too bad its open skies and more opportunities for employment in all fields and choices for passengers too! No one need to play God either.

Good luck and happy landings!

[goingdown]

HK Airlines to order A380s at Paris Air Show

LON and NYC.

[badairsucker]

NYC...can a 380 fly direct to NYC with decent payload and fuel? I don't think so.
LON...how are they going to get landing slots???

[humour]

LON may not mean LHR.

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by badairsucker

NYC...can a 380 fly direct to NYC with decent payload and fuel? I don't think so.

QF operate their A380s LAX-MEL daily, that route with the winds has a longer air nautical miles than JKF-HKG. QF have the A model A380s, anything built after 2012 is lighter, and the wing has already been updated to reduce drag further.

In London, I think they would be going to LGW like Oasis did.

[badairsucker]

In London, I think they would be going to LGW like Oasis did.

LON may not mean LHR.

Yes, I know. But LHR attracts all the front end traffic, that's where the money is.

If it's LGW then I can't see it working as there is a poor connection from LGW to the rest of the UK etc and too much competition from CX, BA, QF, Virgin and ANZ from LHR to HKG. Ever thought why there are NO services from LGW to HKG.

Only time will tell.

[ETOPS240]

[quote]QF operate their A380s LAX-MEL daily, that route with the winds has a longer air nautical miles than JKF-HKG[/b]

QF's international model isn't exactly one which Cathay are trying to follow, for obvious reasons..

A380 JFK-HGK would be a huge u-turn in profit.

[geh065]

Given the dump that is LHR, I would gladly fly to LGW instead!

[Zeke]

Originally Posted by Steve the Pirate

There's no point getting shiny new aircraft if they've got limited routes to justify their purchase.

That is exactly what people said in the early 1970s when a "new" start-up international airline on a sleepy little island in south east asia placed the largest order in history for 747s. Do you think in hindsight that Singapore Airlines were not justified with their purchase ?

Do you think for a minute that HX may just have a business plan that you do not know about ?

Originally Posted by ETOPS240

A380 JFK-HGK would be a huge u-turn in profit.

For CX. We all know that business people like to arrive at the start of the work day, or leave at the end of the work day. Arriving or departing at any other time is not as popular.

[kay lo dee]

Oh Yes they can

HX is owned by HNA group. They have significant financial backing, and a very lucrative domestic market in the 2nd largest economy in the world. As the only non-state aligned carrier and constrained by the central planning of the mainland government, expansion internationally is somewhat muted. This explains why HX was purchased in the firstplace; as it provides a relatively limitless expansion plan unfettered by central planning and with the HKG limit on AOCs allowed at any one time and the further limit of only 2 HKG carriers on any one route allows access to any market they choose ex HKG

The political will is on the side of HX and why not, after all they Have "Hong Kong" written on the side of their aircraft and display no hangover of the Colonial era.

CX is In for a battle. But spare a thought for KA because this outfit is now dead in the water and nobody seems to want to acknowledge it. There senior management have admitted to having no idea about the company's future (as CX refuses to make a commitment to them.