Greater Bay Airlines, a burgeoning player in the aviation sector, has announced the cancellation of approximately 200 flights scheduled between January and March 2024. The affected destinations include major cities in Japan such as Tokyo, Osaka, Yonago, Tokushima, and Sendai, as well as Seoul in South Korea. According to the airline, these cancellations stem from a “change of flight schedules,” primarily affecting flights to Seoul scheduled for late February through March.
The airline's decision has left numerous passengers in a quandary. In response, Greater Bay Airlines has issued an apology and pledged to allocate additional staff to assist passengers with rebooking or obtaining refunds. All associated fees for the affected passengers have been waived to mitigate inconvenience. The Transport and Logistics Bureau has expressed significant concern over these cancellations, prompting Bureau Chief Mable Chan to engage with senior executives at Greater Bay Airlines to discuss the situation.
Lawmaker Chan Pui-leung attributed this incident to internal operational challenges within the airline. However, aviation analyst Li Hanming suggested that delays in Boeing's aircraft delivery could be a contributing factor. Greater Bay Airlines had placed an order for 15 new 737 Max 9 aircraft in 2023, with expected delivery between 2025 and 2027.
“The number of 737 (aircraft) delivered dropped from 580 in 2018 to 265 in 2024 – a 54 per cent loss,” said Li Hanming.
Li further emphasized that such a reduction in production capacity is causing significant delays not only in Hong Kong but globally.
“Such a loss in production capacity definitely caused, is causing, and will cause, in the future, significant delay. Not only in Hong Kong, but elsewhere in China, Asia, or the world,” Li Hanming added.
Additionally, the airline cited delays in the delivery of newly ordered aircraft and scheduled safety inspections for existing fleet members as factors necessitating temporary removal from service.
“Due to delays in the delivery of newly ordered aircraft, and the need for some aircraft in our fleet to undergo scheduled safety inspections as required, (the airline had to) temporarily take them out of service and our overall flight schedule has been impacted,” Greater Bay Airlines stated.
The impact of these cancellations extends beyond individual travelers. The WWPKG travel agency reported that five of its tour groups to Sendai were canceled, affecting fewer than 100 customers who will be contacted for date changes or full refunds.
“Fewer than 100 customers are involved. We will contact them to change travel dates or directly cancel them with full refunds,” Yuen Chun-ning explained.
The broader aviation landscape also reflects challenges similar to those faced by Greater Bay Airlines. Cathay Pacific Airways canceled nearly 800 flights from December 2023 to February 2024 due to pilot illnesses and recruitment issues. This context highlights the complex operational difficulties currently affecting airlines globally.
The cancellations have sparked considerable public reaction, drawing nearly 1,000 comments on social media platforms. Many users demanded explanations and voiced dissatisfaction over the disruptions.
Greater Bay Airlines has committed to reviewing the situation thoroughly to avert recurrence.
“We will seriously review the experience and relevant arrangements to prevent similar situations from occurring in the future,” the airline promised.
Peter Wong commented on travel insurance coverage, providing a potential avenue for affected passengers seeking recourse.
“Normally, travel insurance covers delays or change of plans caused by objective reasons, such as severe weather, shutdown of public transport facilities or staff putting on strikes,” said Peter Wong.
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