Recovery of Hong Kong’s aviation industry in sight, Paul Chan says, as city pursues new air service deals with global partners

A full recovery of Hong Kong’s aviation industry is “in sight”, the city’s financial chief has said, as he revealed officials were already discussing new air service agreements with other parts of the world in a drive to restore global connectivity. “The end of the pandemic has breathed life back into the aviation sector, the Greater Bay Area is rapidly catching up and full recovery is now in sight,” Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po told industry players on Wednesday. The bay area refers to Beijing’s ambitious plan to integrate Hong Kong, Macau, and nine mainland Chinese cities into an economic powerhouse. The minister was speaking at the opening of a two-day event hosted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the city’s airport, which is run by the Airport Authority. The authority had earlier projected passenger traffic would return to 80% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of the year, and set its sights on a full recovery by the close of 2024. The IATA in July revised its own projection for Hong Kong’s aviation recovery and predicted the city would reach pre-pandemic passenger levels by the end of next year, three years sooner than previously expected. Chan on Wednesday said the government was looking “to power [Hong Kong’s] recovery and connection with the world”, which included negotiating new air service agreements and expanding existing ones with its civil aviation partners in Asia and around the globe.<br/>