Hong Kong Express

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the television drama series produced by SBS of Korea, see Hong Kong Express (TV series).

Hong Kong Express 香港快運航空

IATA UO	ICAO HKE	Callsign HONGKONG SHUTTLE
Founded		1997
Hubs		Hong Kong International Airport
Fleet size		4 Embraer 170 aircraft 1 Boeing 737-800 5 helicopters
Destinations		6 (As of June 2006)
Parent company		Hong Kong Express Airways Ltd.
Headquarters		Hong Kong, China
Key people		Andrew E. Tse, (CEO)
Website: http://www.hongkongexpress.com

The Hong Kong Express Airways Limited (香港快運航空有限公司, previously 港聯航空) is an airline based at Hong Kong International Airport. It took delivery of its first aircraft in July 2005 and launched scheduled services to Guangzhou on September 9, 2005.

Besides its fixed wing services, the HeliExpress division of Hong Kong Express Airways Limited (HeliHongKong and East Asia Airlines based in Hong Kong and Macau respectively before the fixed wing services began) operates a fleet of five Sikorsky S76C+ helicopters on services between Hong Kong, Macau, and Shenzhen, Guangdong. It also operates local passenger charters and aerial works.

1 History
2 Destinations
3 Fleet
4 External links
5 References
6 See also

[edit] History

Hong Kong Express (Renamed as 香港快運航空有限公司) is privately owned by Stanley Ho, a gambling tycoon with massive stakes in casinos in Macau.

In May 2005 it was announced that Hong Kong Express Airways had received approval from the Hong Kong Economic Development and Labour Bureau to operate scheduled air services to five cities in China: Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Chongqing, Nanjing and Ningbo.

The airline launched scheduled flights to Guangzhou on September 7, 2005, followed by flights to Hangzhou on 5 October 2005. Their first aircraft, an Embraer 170, was delivered in July 2005. Hong Kong Express is the first Asian airline to take delivery of this aircraft type. The airline initially used the aircraft on charter services to Taichung, Taiwan, prior to starting scheduled services to Guangzhou and Hangzhou in China. The airline has been granted permission to fly between Hong Kong and Taichung, Taiwan on 30 August 2005 on a charter rental scheme. In November 2005, the airline was granted permission to fly to 12 more Chinese cities and 3 other Asian destinations besides Taichung. It inaugurated charter service Hong Kong-Taichung(Taiwan),in June 2006, with 3 flights a week, and has announced to inaugurate nonstop service to Chiang Mai and Chongqing on 22 June, 2006 and 31 July, 2006 respectively. New charter service to Phuket will start on August 4, 2006, which will operate 2 flights a week. On November 16 2006, the airline had its inaugural flight to Chengdu in Sichuan Province.

On 29 January, 2007, Hong Kong Express announced its new Chinese name 香港快運航空有限公司 (formerly 港聯航空) and used Pixiu as its logo. The first Boeing 737-800 of their orders has arrived on 31 January 2007, featuring the new livery.

[edit] Destinations

As of November 2006, operating flights are:

China, People's Republic of
China, Republic of (Taiwan)
- Taichung (Taichung International Airport) (Charter Services)
Philippines
- Laoag (Laoag International Airport) (Charter Services)
Thailand
- Chiang Mai (Chiang Mai International Airport)

As of November 2006, cancelled destinations are:

China, People's Republic of
- Guangzhou (Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport)
- Nanjing (Nanjing Lukou International Airport)

As of August 2006, approved destinations are:

Japan
- Okinawa (Naha Airport)

As of November 2006, approved destinations are:^{[citation needed]}

Cambodia
- Siem Reap
China, People's Republic of
- Dalian
- Dayong
- Guilin
- Jinan
- Jinjiang
- Huangshan (Tunxi)
- Kunming
- Lijiang
- Nanning
- Qingdao
- Shenyang
- Shijiazhuang
- Tianjin
- Wuhan
- Wuxi
- Xian
- Yantai
Thailand
- Koh Samui

[edit] Fleet

As of January 2007 the Hong Kong Express fleet includes:^[1]

4 Embraer 170-100LR
1 Boeing 737-800

These were the first Embraer in Hong Kong and 2nd operator in Asia (Thailand's PB air has the first 2). The first aircraft(B-KXA) was delivered in July 2005, and the second aircraft(B-KXB) was delivered on 30 September 2005. The third Embraer 170(B-KXC) was delivered on 8 December, 2005. The fourth Embraer 170 (B-KXD) was delivered on 28 May 2006. All of the four aircraft are being leased from GE Commercial Aviation Services. But it plans to add two aircraft annually over the next few years to fly to other Asian destinations, according to the company's website.

Registation codes for Hong Kong Express planes are followed by 'B-KX' which mean Hong Kong EXpress. For example, the registation code of their first aircraft they had is 'B-KXA'.^{[citation needed]}

The airline intends to get a few Boeing 737 NG when they get the right to fly to a few more China destinations.^[2] Their first Boeing 737-808, leased from Icelandair, with the registration of B-KXE (line number and Serial Number: 34710/2144) , had its first flight in Seattle on 13, December, 2006.^[3]

The helicopter fleet consists of five Sikorsky S76C+, which are the Hong Kong registered B-KCC, B-HJR and Macau registered B-MHF, B-MHG, B-MHH. All of the helicopters are based in Macao.

Hong Kong Express is phasing out its four Embraer 170 aircraft leased from GE Commercial Aviation Services, which had been introduced in September 2005, and switching its focus to larger aircraft, with the Boeing 737-800 expected to be acquired.^[4]