Virgin Atlantic exits HK route

Virgin Atlantic has closed its Hong Kong office and suspended flights to and from London Heathrow after almost 30 years of service in the city.

The sudden closure came as Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific tries to add more flights amid a relaxation of Covid controls as the city reopens to the world.

Virgin Atlantic, founded by tycoon Richard Branson in England, said yesterday operational complexities due to the Russian airspace closure contributed to the commercial decision not to resume flights next March as planned. The flights have been on pause since December 2021.

"On the basis of Russian airspace remaining closed, Heathrow-Hong Kong flight times would be approximately an hour longer and Hong Kong-Heathrow flight time would be an hour and 50 minutes longer than prior to airspace closure," Virgin told The Standard.

A spokesman said the airline had been contacting affected customers since yesterday with their options, including a refund or voucher to redeem on an alternative Virgin service.

"We're sorry for the disappointment caused to our loyal customers and anyone booked to travel from March 2023, whose flights will be canceled," the airline said. Virgin told trade members in a separate message that the Hong Kong route was on a trend of declining profitability even before the pandemic.

"We're constantly reviewing the performance of our network and as part of our long-term strategy of being sustainably profitable," the airline said in a memo.

"We're committed to only flying profitable routes."

Virgin said it still intends to resume flights to Shanghai. In 2019, Virgin Australia ended Hong Kong-Melbourne and Hong Kong-Sydney services.

Virgin was one of three airlines that provided direct flights between Hong Kong and Heathrow.

British Airways said last month it will be joining other airlines in a return to Hong Kong and offer a daily service by early December.

Cathay Pacific, the only airline operating direct flights from Hong Kong to London, has already said it will "add back more flights as quickly as is feasible."

Cathay will host its first job fair since the pandemic tomorrow to recruit 2,000 flight attendants, but a unionist said the junior positions - with a HK$9,000 basic salary - will hardly attract new blood.

Speaking on radio yesterday, the vice chairwoman of the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants' Union, Grace Siu Wing-yan, said she believes salaries and benefits are still the paramount consideration. Siu said the basic salary for newly hired flight attendants is about HK$9,000, but they could no longer get extra for overtime.

"Following the mass layoffs, the pay for remaining employees was shrunk by 30 percent. The pay for new hires is at the level after the reduction," she said.

"The airlines should consider whether there's a need for salary adjustment. If not, it will continue to experience a loss of employees. Even new recruits might not help to fill all the vacancies," she said.

She also welcomed the government's relaxation, saying that airline staff have waited for such a change for two-and-half years.

Her comments came a day after authorities allowed aircrew to leave their hotels and dine at restaurants during layovers. Siu is now hoping the government will scrap the "test and hold" arrangement for all aircrew.

Under the current arrangement, aircrew will have to conduct a PCR test upon arrival and can only leave the airport after obtaining a negative result. She added: "It's tough for returning crew, especially those who've finished a long-haul flight, to wait two to three hours before going home to rest."

Meanwhile, Chicago-based United Airlines is planning to restart Hong Kong flights from San Francisco as soon as January, sources said.

It suspended passenger flights to Hong Kong in July 2020.

eunice.lam@singtaonewscorp.com