Embattled SAA temporarily halts Hong Kong services

South African Airways is suspending its Hong Kong service for 3 weeks owing to losses it is incurring on the route, which have deepened as a result of the political unrest in the territory. The airline, which is already coping with network disruption from industrial action, says it will halt the Johannesburg-Hong Kong flights from Nov 23. This suspension will remain in effect until Dec 14. SAA says the losses on the route are "significant" and have been "exacerbated" by the months of political tension driven by protests against the govt. CCO Philip Saunders said: "By suspending these flights, we can concentrate on resuming more regional services at the earliest opportunity and make better use of all our resources.” Monthly passenger numbers at Hong Kong airport suddenly fell by more than 12% in August to fewer than 6m. <br/>