New Vancouver to Hong Kong daily flights will boast sky bar

Mar 17 2017, 6:43 am

Competition on the Vancouver to Hong Kong flight route, one of Vancouver International Airport’s most frequent overseas routes, will become significantly more intense this summer with the introduction of a new carrier bringing additional daily, non-stop flights between the two cities.

Hong Kong Airlines first announced its plans last fall to make YVR its first North American destination, and during a celebration dinner earlier this month it confirmed that its first flights will take off on June 30 – just ahead of Canada Day and the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s reunification with China.

Daily flights will depart YVR at 12:10 pm and land at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) at 4:50 pm the next day while returning flights will leave HKG at 12:30 pm and arrive at YVR at 10:10 am.

The new service will utilize an Airbus A330-220 seating 283 passengers outfitted with a seating configuration that provides more legroom. As well, unique to the route will be a sky bar in business class to enable passengers to retrieve their own food and beverages whenever desired.

Round-trip flights start at $500, not inclusive of taxes, for flights late in the summer season.

The first Airbus A350 aircraft of Hong Kong Airlines will be delivered in August 2017. (Hong Kong Airlines)

Founded just over a decade ago, Hong Kong Airlines has quickly expanded into a major international airline serving 36 destinations in Australia, New Zealand, Southeast Asia, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea. It currently has a fleet of 34 Airbus aircraft, which will increase to 50 planes by the end of 2018 with the arrival of the airline’s order of A350 aircraft.

The Vancouver route will eventually switch to an A350 aircraft, and the acquisition of the new planes will lead to the introduction of new, non-stop routes to Los Angeles and New York City from Hong Kong.

Hong Kong Airlines already possesses one of the airline industry’s youngest average fleet age – an average of just 4.6 years, beating new Mainland Chinese carriers and even Emirates.

More competition

The YVR-HKG route has an exceedingly high demand and capacity. It has long been served by Cathay Pacific’s 14 weekly flights, which will be increased to 17 weekly beginning March 28 using an A350-900 aircraft.

Air Canada also flies from Vancouver to HKG daily using a Boeing 777-300ER, and due to the route’s intense competition it is often regarded as one of airline’s best routes for service.

YVR’s number of connections to Mainland China – the Chinese region outside of Hong Kong – have grown exponentially in recent years, reaching nine routes by the end of 2016. This includes China Eastern to Shanghai-Pudong, China Eastern to Nanjing, China Southern to Guangzhou, Air Canada to Beijing, Air China to Beijing, Sichuan Airlines to Chengdu and Shenyang, Sichuan Airlines to Zhengzhou, Beijing Capital Airlines to Qingdao and Hangzhou, and Xiamen Airlines to Xiamen.

YVR currently has more Mainland Chinese carriers than any other airport in North America and Europe.

Later this year, Air Canada will also be adding new frequent, non-stop flights between YVR and airports in Taipei, Taiwan and Nagoya, Japan.

See also

New and improved major YVR routes 2016/2017

  • January 1, 2016: Orlando International Airport – WestJet to begin twice weekly non-stop seasonal flight service.
  • January 20, 2016: Orlando-Sanford International Airport – National Airlines to begin two times weekly seasonal flight service.
  • February 15, 2016: Cancun, Mexico – Air Canada to begin weekly, non-stop seasonal service.
  • May 1, 2016: London Heathrow Airport – British Airways to use an AirBus A380 superjumbo jet for its existing daily non-stop London Heathrow Airport service. The A380 will only be used during the summer months.
  • May 6, 2016: London Gatwick Airport – WestJet to begin six times weekly non-stop flight service.
  • May 9, 2016: Norman Y. Mineta San Jose International Airport – Air Canada to begin twice daily, non-stop service to San Jose.
  • June 1, 2016: Brisbane, Australia – Air Canada to begin daily non-stop flight service.
  • June 2, 2016: San Diego International Airport – Air Canada to begin daily, non-stop seasonal service.
  • June 4, 2016: Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Air Canada to begin daily, non-stop service.
  • June 10, 2016: Dublin Airport – Air Canada to begin seasonal, three times weekly non-stop flight service.
  • June 29, 2016: London, Ontario – WestJet to begin four times weekly non-stop seasonal flight service.
  • June 29, 2016: Halifax, Nova Scotia – WestJet to begin four times weekly non-stop seasonal flight service.
  • June 30, 2016: Hamilton, Ontario – WestJet to begin three times weekly non-stop seasonal flight service.
  • July 25, 2016: Xiamen, China – Xiamen Airlines to begin three times weekly non-stop flight service.
  • October 20, 2016: Delhi, India – Air Canada to begin three times weekly non-stop flight service.
  • December 1, 2016: Mexico City, Mexico – Aeromexico increases weekly flights from 14 to 20.
  • December 20, 2016: Nanjing, China – China Eastern Airlines to begin three times weekly non-stop flight service.
  • December 30, 2016: Hangzhou, China via Qingdao, China – Beijing Capital Airlines to begin three times weekly service.
  • February 5, 2017: Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas – Air Canada to begin daily service.
  • March 28, 2017: Hong Kong, China – Cathay Pacific increases weekly flights from 14 to 17.
  • May 1, 2017: Phoenix, Arizona – Air Canada to begin daily service.
  • May 18, 2017: Denver, Colorado – Air Canada to begin twice daily service.
  • June 1, 2017: Nagoya, Japan – Air Canada to begin seasonal three times weekly service.
  • June 8, 2017: Taipei, Taiwan – Air Canada to begin daily service.
  • June 23, 2017: Boston, Massachusetts – Air Canada to begin daily summer seasonal service.
  • June 30, 2017: Hong Kong, China – Hong Kong Airlines to begin daily non-stop flight service.
See also

 

Kenneth ChanKenneth Chan

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