|
Cathay Pacific Airways today welcomed a decision by the Air Transport
Licensing Authority (ATLA) in Hong Kong to grant the airline licences to fly
to three destinations in the Chinese Mainland, namely Beijing, Shanghai and
Xiamen.
ATLA has granted licences which will enable Cathay Pacific to fly three
times a day to Beijing, three times a day to Shanghai and three times a week to
Xiamen.
This is the first step in Cathay Pacific's bid to resume flights to the
Mainland - something that the airline says will be in the interest of both China and Hong
Kong. The airline believes that commencing its own services to these three
cities will have a positive effect on Hong Kong's role as an aviation hub
and restore Hong Kong's competitive footing in the region.
Cathay Pacific Director & Chief Operating Officer Philip Chen said: "We are
very pleased that ATLA has approved licences for Cathay Pacific to fly to
Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen. Not only will it be a boost for Hong Kong's
status as an aviation hub, it will bring many more passengers throug
Hong Kong and boost the local economy, and also promote tourism in the Chinese
Mainland."
Dragonair
however expressed its deep disappointment at the decision.
"We are disappointed with the decision for several reasons," said
Dragonair Chief Executive Officer Stanley Hui. "First, we believe it contravenes the Basic Law in respect of China's domestic routes. And
second, the decision will result in uneconomic overlapping with the services provided by Dragonair on the three routes, leading to financial
devastation for Dragonair. We made a very strong case as to the economic
impact that granting the licences would have on Dragonair.
"The current impact of SARS on Dragonair's operation clearly
demonstrates that a drastic deterioration to the markets of Beijing,
Shanghai and Xiamen will lead to financial devastation for Dragonair, and
the collapse of our network to secondary China Mainland cities."
Mr Hui added: "We feel the decision is unfair to Dragonair. We will now
review with our legal representatives the options open to us with regard to
today's ruling." |
