Hong Kong Airlines has started daily flights between Hong Kong and Manila to meet increasing travel demands from the Philippines.
A full maiden flight left Hong Kong International Airport at 9.30pm last Friday (June 1) for Manila and the Airbus A320 plane flew back to Hong Kong the next day, sunwebhk.com reported.
Tang King Shing, vice chairman of Hong Kong Airlines, said there has been a steady increase in travelers between the two cities over the years, with about 900,000 visitors from the Philippines arriving in Hong Kong in 2017.
Consul Paulo Saret, from the Philippine Consulate General, said the government in Manila hoped that more Hong Kong people would visit the Philippines and that the carrier could help promote the country as a destination for Hong Kong people.
Saret said Filipinos who work in Hong Kong would welcome the new flights because it would widen their choice of airlines and hopefully lead to lower fares due to increased competition.
According to the airline’s website, the flight from Hong Kong to Manila departs at 9:10pm on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, or 9:30pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
The flight from Manila to Hong Kong departs at 6:30am.
A one-way ticket from Hong Kong to Manila is priced at HK$1,428 (US$181), the airline’s website showed.