Greater Bay Airlines (HB, Hong Kong International) has said on its website that it plans to begin international operations to Singapore Changi, Phuket, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi in the fourth quarter of 2021, subject to regulatory approvals and COVID-related developments.
The Hong Kong start-up recently confirmed that it is currently undergoing certification and is on track to begin revenue operations on October 1. At first, it plans to limit its network to charter services, possible without an Air Transport Licence (ATL), followed by scheduled flights once the permit has been granted.
Greater Bay Airlines plans to launch with three B737-800s and focus on routes connecting Hong Kong International to destinations in mainland China. In 2022, it hopes to increase its fleet to ten aircraft.
Currently, non-essential travel between Hong Kong International and Singapore is banned, although the authorities of the two territories plan to review their plans for a quarantine-free "travel bubble" later this month. Thailand allows vaccinated foreign travellers, including those from Hong Kong, to visit Phuket under the so-called "sandbox" plan, which treats the island as a de facto separate part of the country for COVID-control reasons. Travel to Bangkok remains banned, although tourists going to Phuket and Koh Samui are allowed to transfer via the capital. The Thai authorities are considering expanding the "sandbox" to cover more destinations in the country's south in addition to the Phuket "sandbox" and a similar scheme called "Samui Plus".
