Qantas to keep smaller fleet flying out of Hong Kong

Qantas is to keep using smaller planes to fly between Hong Kong and Australia over the next six months, as its CEO revealed the airline’s local business had yet to emerge from the downturn brought about by the city’s civil unrest. Speaking at an event to mark the official unveiling of its luxury first-class lounge at Singapore’s Changi Airport, Alan Joyce said the decision was expected to limit the A$25m (US$17.1m) impact on the airline’s earnings through H1 2020. Qantas previously blamed the Hong Kong protests for affecting its profitability by the end of December. However, for now, there has been no downward revision on the figure to account for next year. “Nothing has really changed from the A$25m. Issues are still continuing,” Joyce said. Between August and October, passenger traffic at Hong Kong International Airport fell by 2.3m people compared with the same period last year. Similarly, Cathay Pacific flew 770,000 fewer people year on year during the same period. The often violent protests and rioting in Hong Kong have entered a six month, and since they began in June the city has since fallen into recession, industries have suffered, and the travel and tourism sector has been decimated with a sharp drop in visitor arrivals.<br/>