Hong Kong Airlines is 45% owned by Hainan Airlines, hence the almost identical liveries. From 2006 to 2018 the airline pursued a continuous expansion of its network, opening routes to as far as North America and Australia. This growth was interrupted by the political and social unrest, accompanied by the ongoing China-US trade conflict, which eroded demand and income. As consequence the airline stopped all of its long-haul routes, transforming itself into a purely regional carrier operating domestic and south-eastern Asia flights. Most of its onboard service was downscaled too, including the stop of Inflight Entertainment. The Covid pandemic exacerbated this crisis, causing hundreds of layoffs (Photo Wikimedia Commons / N509FZ)
- - 5 STARS: Awarded to airlines achieving a very high, overall quality performance. It recognizes high standards of onboard product together with consistent and excellent standards of staff service across airport and cabin environments
- - 4 STARS: Awarded to airlines that deliver a good overall quality performance and provide good product standards across different travel cabins
- - 3 STARS: Awarded to airlines delivering a fair quality performance equating to the industry 'average' of acceptable product and service standards
- - 2 STARS: Shows airlines delivering a lower total quality performance, in some instances below the industry average across many rating categories
- - 1 STAR: Represents a poor quality of product delivered across the assessment sectors
* SKYTRAX (www.skytraxratings.com) is the most prestigious independent rating agency in commercial aviation. Its five stars rating system regarding airline quality has become a status symbol for carriers around the world. Here is what the stars stand for: