Exclusive | Cathay Dragon chief to take top job at Hong Kong newcomer Greater Bay Airlines
- Industry veteran Algernon Yau is retiring from Cathay Group after nearly four decades with the company
- Cathay axed its Dragon airline earlier this year amid massive pandemic-related restructuring
The chief executive officer of the now-defunct regional airline Cathay Dragon will take the top job at Greater Bay Airlines (GBA), in a coup for the upstart carrier.
In the memo, Hong Kong mogul Bill Wong Cho-bau, who is launching the fledging GBA airline in the city, asked staff to welcome Yau and support him in his new appointment.
The appointment will bolster GBA as it works through regulatory approval for its launch, including securing an air operator’s certificate and an air transport licence to permit it to run scheduled flights from Hong Kong to any destination.
Luya You, a transport analyst at brokerage Bocom International, said of Yau’s appointment: “It makes sense, and if Yau is available then there are few reasons why they wouldn’t find someone of his background. Hong Kong is a historically tough aviation market to crack for any new home-grown airlines, so any advantages are needed.”
The hire would allow the newcomer “to be much more competitive from the get-go, considering the complexities that face GBA as they try to break into this market”, You added.
