Hong Kong Airlines eyes used Boeing 787s in long-haul reboot

HONG KONG Airlines is looking to add second-hand Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets in an effort to revive its long-haul ambitions after its previous ill-fated intercontinental push nearly sunk the company.

The HNA Group-backed carrier wants at least three 787 aircraft to restart flights to North America in 2025, chief executive officer Jeff Sun Jianfeng told Bloomberg News in an interview on Thursday (Aug 22). The airline is evaluating Vancouver, Toronto, Los Angeles and Seattle as the new routes, he said.

A smaller rival to Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong Airlines also said on Thursday it plans to restart temporary long-haul flights to Australia’s Gold Coast next year, with a view to making long-range flights a permanent service.

The decision to relaunch long-distance flights comes after a contentious HK$49 billion (S$8.21 billion) debt restructuring in 2022, including its strategic push into long-haul markets, that nearly bankrupted the company. Its financial distress forced it to jettison most of its then fleet of 53 planes.

The purchase of second-hand jets would make the carrier, which currently operates an all-Airbus SE fleet of 21 jets, a new Boeing widebody operator, delivering a boost to the US planemaker. BLOOMBERG