Goodbye aviation hub status? Report shows HK air travel recovery hit by strict health rules

The aviation industry’s recovery will slow down.

Hong Kong’s aviation industry may suffer more if China continues to implement strict health rules, according to the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as indicated in a Reuters report.

The news report also revealed that the market also lost its position as a global aviation hub due to the policy.

IATA Director General Willie Walsh said during a conference at Doha, the zero-COVID-19 policy ravaged Hong Kong and devastated airline Cathay Pacific operations.

"Cathay Pacific is a shadow of its former self as a result. Hong Kong has lost its position as a global hub and will struggle to regain it because other hubs have taken advantage of it," said Walsh.

Hong Kong is a major hub where air passengers move between global flights and to China. 

Whilst the pace of recovery in passenger demand rose over in other parts, the revival has been unbalanced as China is still pushing for implementing the stringent COVID-19 border restrictions.

Walsh said IATA is attentively monitoring any indications that China plans to ease border measures.

More from Reuters.