LCCs the new flavour of the day at Hong Kong
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Thai AirAsia
AirAsias Thai affiliate announced 27-Sep-07 that it will join its Malaysian parent in launching services to Hong Kong International Airport, with operations to commence before the end of 2007.
The combined AirAsia operation, which already serves neighbouring Macau International Airport nine times a day, will connect Asia’s financial capital with Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and, now, Bangkok.
The announcement is considerably more significant than most new route postings, as many had perceived Hong Kong as a full service carrier fortress, in the mould of London Heathrow. That perception seemed to be encouraged by the airport authority, which demanded charges incompatible with the short-haul low cost operating model.
Now, however, perhaps seeing the growth of its neighbouring special administrative region, and with a new terminal to fill, the authority has changed tack and begun to embrace the LCC movement. Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijleveld notes that it took a while, but the administrative region’s airport is finally on board, noting that, “after three years, the Hong Kong Airport Authority now sees the good potential of traffic and benefits LCCs would bring to the island.”
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LCCs the new flavour of the day at Hong Kong 
