Hong Kong’s transport chief has demanded Greater Bay Airlines submit a report to the government after the cancellation of 128 flights in February and March, affecting around 5,500 passengers.
Mable Chan, the secretary for transport and logistics, said on Wednesday afternoon that the air carrier should investigate the cause of the cancellations and submit a report to the government in one week.
Speaking to reporters in Cantonese, Chan said: “The Transport and Logistics Bureau and the Civil Aviation Department have met with Greater Bay Airlines’ senior management to learn more about the way forward.”
The government said it had requested the report “to elucidate the cause of the incident, the approach for handling flight arrangements, etc, in order to prevent the reoccurrence of similar incidents.”
Greater Bay Airlines, a budget carrier that launched its inaugural flight in July 2022, announced on Wednesday that 128 flights would be cancelled in February and March “due to delay in new aircraft delivery and the need for regular inspection for some of our existing aircraft.”
It also said that an internal review found “negligence” in its flight scheduling process was linked to the cancellations.
Flight services during the Lunar New Year holiday will not be affected, the airline said.
Chan urged Greater Bay Airlines to resume “steady and reliable services.”
She also said: “Whether it involves arranging alternative flights or refund arrangements, the airline must provide compensation and protection according to their mechanisms.”
See also: Why aircrew at Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific are quitting what was once a dream job
The budget air carrier also said Wednesday that it would be suspending the flight service between Hong Kong and Seoul because of unsatisfactory “business performance.”
As of Thursday morning, the Consumer Council had received five complaints about the flight cancellations, involving a total of HK$14,000, local media reported.
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