Airfares for long-haul flights from Hong Kong to remain on ‘high side’, industry players say

But airfares to short-haul destinations such as Southeast Asia are back to pre-pandemic levels

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Travellers check in at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Published: 11:36pm, 9 Aug 2024Updated: 5:20pm, 10 Aug 2024

Hongkongers can expect airfares for long-haul flights, especially to the United States and Canada, to remain on the “high side” for some time because of limited supply although prices for regional destinations have returned to pre-pandemic levels, industry players have said.

Ronald Wu Keng-hou, executive director of Gray Line Tours and a Tourism Board member, said airfares for short-haul destinations such as Southeast Asia were back to normal levels due to increasing supply, intense competition between budget airlines and a decline in demand for travel.

“There is no more ‘revenge-travel’ as many people have used up their holidays and there is more choice due to rising competition which drives down ticket prices,” he said, referring to people’s pent-up desire to go abroad after three years of the pandemic.

But Wu said on Friday that it would take more time for long-haul airfares to fall.

Long-haul flights from Hong Kong airport have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels. Photo: Yik Yeung-man

The number of long-haul flights from the city had only reached about 60 per cent of pre-pandemic levels as several overseas airlines had exited the Hong Kong market during the pandemic, including American Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia, he noted.