Summary
- Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, and Air Canada have 10 North America-Hong Kong routes in November.
- Compared to 2019, the market has lost flights by four carriers.
- Six airports in the USA no longer have Hong Kong service, including Newark and Washington Dulles.
The US and Canada have 93 non-stop passenger flights a week to Hong Kong in November, the first whole month of the Northern Hemisphere winter season. Hong Kong will be the pair’s 20th most-served international long-haul market. Yet services are down by 44% versus 2019, when Hong Kong was the 11th largest. It remains among the world’s least recovered long-haul markets.
Carriers have more than halved
Four years ago, in pre-pandemic 2019, seven passenger airlines flew between the US/Canada and Hong Kong. Now, there are only three: Cathay Pacific (65 weekly in November), United Airlines (triple daily), and Air Canada (daily). All except United have far fewer flights than they did.
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Until early 2020, American Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, and Hong Kong Express all operated. American served the Asian destination and oneworld hub daily from Dallas Fort Worth, its primary hub and the world’s third busiest airport by July flights, using the Boeing 777-300ER.
Photo: Markus Mainka I Shutterstock.
Singapore Airlines deployed the 777-300ER on its fifth freedom daily service between Changi and San Francisco via Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airlines flew to Los Angeles and Vancouver with its Airbus A350-900s; San Francisco ended in October 2019. HK Express served the US territory of Saipan, 2,138 miles (3,441 km) away, with the A320.
10 routes will operate in November
The following table shows that Cathay Pacific, United, and Air Canada collectively plan 10 routes in November from seven US/Canadian airports. When the carriers that no longer operate are included, the number of routes has halved versus November 2019.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying.
The 10 include United from Los Angeles, which returns on October 28th after operating more than 15 years ago in 2008. United had scheduled Newark to return on October 27th, but it is not bookable and is therefore not included. Despite being 8,065 miles (12,980 km), Newark would have been far too short to have been on the world’s largest five non-stop routes list.
|
November flights* |
To Hong Kong from… |
Airline |
Equipment** |
|---|---|---|---|
|
20 weekly |
New York JFK |
Cathay Pacific |
A350-900, A350-1000 |
|
Double daily |
San Francisco |
United |
777-300ER, 777-200ER |
|
12 weekly |
Los Angeles |
Cathay Pacific |
777-300ER |
|
11 weekly |
Toronto |
Cathay Pacific |
A350-1000, A350-900 |
|
Eight weekly |
San Francisco |
Cathay Pacific |
A350-900 |
|
Daily |
Los Angeles |
United |
787-9 |
|
Vancouver |
Air Canada |
787-9 |
|
|
Vancouver |
Cathay Pacific |
777-300ER |
|
|
Four weekly |
Boston |
Cathay Pacific |
A350-1000 |
|
Three weekly |
Chicago O’Hare |
Cathay Pacific |
A350-1000 |
|
* Week of November 19th used |
** Ordered by flights |
Six US airports have lost Hong Kong flights
Dallas-Fort Worth, Guam (served until October 2019), Newark, Saipan, Seattle, and Washington Dulles have all lost Hong Kong non-stops. When writing, none are scheduled to return, although this may change.
What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.
Sources of information: OAG, Cirium, Google Flights, airline websites.