Air Hong Kong
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Cargo airline |
| Founded | November 1986 |
| Founder | Three local entrepreneurs (including Roger Walman and Tomas Sang) |
| Headquarters | Chek Lap Kok , Hong Kong |
Area served | Asia (13 destinations in nine countries) |
| Products | Cargo air transport |
| Owner | Cathay Pacific (100% ownership as of end 2018) |
| Parent | Cathay Pacific |
Air Hong Kong (branded as air Hongkong) is a cargo-only airline headquartered at Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong, with its principal base at Hong Kong International Airport. It manages an express freight service connecting 13 destinations in nine countries, including China, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, and Vietnam. The airline operates a fleet composed of Airbus A330-300P2F freighter aircraft.
Established in November 1986 by three local entrepreneurs, Air Hong Kong launched its charter flights on 4 February 1988 utilizing a Boeing 707-320C freighter. In June 1994, Cathay Pacific purchased a 75% interest and completed full acquisition by February 2002. Later that year, Cathay Pacific entered into a joint venture with DHL, which obtained a 40% ownership stake while Cathay retained 60%.
In 2017, Cathay Pacific agreed to reacquire DHL’s 40% shareholding, regaining full control by the close of 2018. Under this arrangement, Air Hong Kong continues to operate a dedicated freighter network throughout Asia on behalf of DHL.
History
Air Hong Kong was initially founded in November 1986 by three businessmen associated with London's Stansted Airport, including Roger Walman and Tomas Sang from Hong Kong. Charter operations commenced in February 1988 using a Boeing 707-320C freighter flying to destinations such as Bombay, Britain, and Kathmandu; scheduled services began in October 1989. By 1990, with two Boeing 707-320Cs in operation, the airline served Manchester and held traffic rights to multiple cities including Auckland, Brussels, Fukuoka, Guam, Melbourne, Nagoya, Osaka, Perth, Busan, Singapore, Sydney, Vienna, and Zürich. In April 1991, it introduced scheduled cargo flights to Nagoya and secured traffic rights for Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Additional traffic rights were granted in March 1992 for Cairns, Darwin, Dhaka, Dubai, Kathmandu, Kuala Lumpur, and Townsville. By March 1993, Air Hong Kong operated scheduled cargo services to Brussels, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Manchester, Nagoya, and Singapore with a fleet comprising two Boeing 747-100SFs and one Boeing 707-320C freighter.
In 1993 Polaris Aircraft Leasing (a subsidiary of GE Capital) agreed to suspend lease payments on three Boeing 747-100SFs in exchange for an option to acquire up to 49% of the airline by January 1995. However, Cathay Pacific purchased a 75% stake for HK$200 million in June 1994, nullifying Polaris’s option. Facing weak market demand and financial losses, Air Hong Kong ended leases on its Boeing 707-320C and one Boeing 747-100SF by early 1995 but retained two Boeing 747-100SFs. By the year 2000 the fleet included three Boeing 747-200Fs serving Brussels, Dubai, Manchester, and Osaka.
Cathay Pacific completed acquisition of the remaining 25% shareholding in February 2002 making Air Hong Kong a fully owned subsidiary. After restructuring operations in July 2002 the airline withdrew services to Brussels, Dubai and Manchester to concentrate on Asian routes. In October that year Cathay Pacific sold a 30% stake to DHL to finance the purchase of medium-sized freighters for DHL’s Asia-Pacific network headquartered in Hong Kong. The airline earmarked $300 million for five freighters by 2004 and allocated $100 million for at least three additional aircraft by 2010. In March 2003 Cathay Pacific reduced its holding to 60% following sale of an extra 10% stake to DHL.
Air Hong Kong became the launch customer for the Airbus A300-600F General Freighter model featuring sophisticated cargo loading mechanisms capable of handling various containers and pallets plus a rear lower deck side door designed for large freight items. The first A300-600GF was delivered in September 2004 with eight aircraft completed by June 2006. These freighters are powered by two General Electric CF6-80C2 engines covered under a fourteen-year Maintenance Cost Per Hour (MCPH) agreement signed with GE in January 2005.
In November 2007 Air Hong Kong was honored with Airbus's Award for Operational Excellence recognizing outstanding performance in aircraft utilization rates, operational reliability and minimal average delays.
Destinations
By October 2023, Air Hong Kong conducts cargo operations to prominent locations throughout Asia. Its network includes significant Chinese cities such as Beijing, Chengdu, and Shanghai; Japanese centers including Nagoya, Osaka, and Tokyo; as well as Penang in Malaysia. The airline also serves Cebu and Manila in the Philippines, Singapore, Seoul in South Korea, Taipei in Taiwan, Bangkok in Thailand, and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. The airline's main operational base is Hong Kong International Airport.
Current fleet
Air Hong Kong operates a fleet composed entirely of Airbus freighters, primarily flying on behalf of DHL Aviation:
| Aircraft | In service | Orders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A330-200F | 4 | — | Operated under contract for DHL Aviation |
| Airbus A330-300/P2F | 10 | — | |
| Total | 14 | — |
In 2020, the airline enhanced its air operator's certificate by incorporating a second Airbus A330 freighter. This addition comprised a factory-built A330-243F alongside a converted A330-322F model. Notably, Air Hong Kong was the inaugural customer for the Airbus A300-600F General Freighter, marking an important advancement in its fleet evolution.
Former fleet
| Aircraft | Total | Introduced | Retired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbus A300-600F | 15 | 2002 | 2025 | |
| Boeing 707-320C | Template:Unknown | 1988 | 1998 | |
| Boeing 727-200F | Template:Unknown | Template:Unknown | Template:Unknown | |
| Boeing 747-100SF | 4 | 1991 | 1996 | |
| Boeing 747-200F | 1 | 1994 | 1996 | |
| Boeing 747-200SF | 3 | 1997 | 2004 | |
| Boeing 747-400BCF | 4 | 2011 | 2018 |
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