Chapter closed: Virgin Atlantic shuts Hong Kong route after 30 years
Virgin Atlantic announced today it has dropped the Heathrow to Hong Kong route after almost 30 years due to the closure of Russia’s airspace and related issues.
As part of the move, the airliner also shut down its office in the city-state.
The legacy carrier said on Wednesday it would not resume flights – halted for almost a year – in March 2023, as previously announced.
Virgin Atlantic discontinued services in December 2021 due to the impact of Omicron on travel and Hong Kong’s strict zero-Covid policy.
“We’re sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers on this route and anyone booked to travel from March 2023, will be offered a refund, voucher or the option to rebook on an alternative Virgin Atlantic route,” said a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson.
Morning Wire understood that, on the basis of Moscow’s airspace remaining closed to Western airlines, flights from Heathrow to Hong Kong would take an extra hour while return services would be almost two hours longer.
It also understood that 46 jobs – 18 ground staff and 28 cabin crew – would be impacted by the decision.
Commenting on the announcement, travel expert Rob Staines said that while pulling the plug on Hong Kong was a difficult choice, “commercial viability has never been more important.”
“Hong Kong has been largely off limits due to draconian Covid measures and it will take time to relaunch this route fully,” he told Morning Wire
Hong Kong’s aviation woes recently made the headlines when airline executive Willie Walsh said the city-state had lost its hub status due to the impact of its zero-Covid policies.
“Hong Kong has lost its position as a global hub and will struggle to regain it because other hubs have taken advantage of it,” Walsh said in late September during a conference of the International Air Transport Association – of which he is director general.
In 2019 Hong Kong Airport handled 71.5 million passengers but numbers tanked as a result of Covid and pandemic-related policies.
Two years later, the airport saw 1.35 million people pass through its gates.