LIKE many people around the world, Paul Melkebeke is itching to hop on a plane, tuck into some aeroplane food, catch up on some work, and land in a new location in a different time zone.

In 2019, the president of Asia-Pacific and the Middle East for Samsonite International spent 198 nights away from home. Mr Melkebeke didn't hit that number in 2020, and who knows if he will be anywhere close to that in 2021.

In fact, the Belgian-born, Hong Kong-based father of three was supposed to be on the first flight to Singapore in November 2020. But the suspension of the travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong put paid to it. This interview, like Mr Melkebeke's many other meetings, had to be conducted over Zoom.