A new Hong Kong-based carrier, started by a mainland property tycoon, has applied for more than 100 passenger and cargo routes in and beyond the Greater Bay Area.

Greater Bay Airlines is seeking to operate scheduled flights with a fleet of B737-800 airliners to 105 destinations, most of them on the mainland. They also include destinations in the wider region, including Tokyo, Osaka, Bangkok, Singapore and Manila.

The new carrier was established last year by Bill Wong, a property developer who heads Donghai Group. Wong has long been interested in building a low-cost carrier for the Greater Bay Area, and has spoken of snapping up routes left vacant by the collapse of Cathay Dragon.

That airline, a Cathay Pacific subsidiary, folded last year as the pandemic engulfed the aviation sector, freeing up growth opportunities anticipated for the Chinese market after the pandemic is over.

Greater Bay Airlines is currently applying for an air operator’s certificate as well as certification from the city’s Air Transport Licensing Authority. It remains unclear how other local airlines – namely Cathay Pacific, HK Express and Hong Kong Airlines – will react to Wong’s ambitions. But they have the right to object to his licensing applications.

Jeremy Tam, a former lawmaker and former pilot, has commented that the carrier should not be applying for routes without first gaining the proper licenses. However, a government spokesperson said an airline operator can apply for routes, although they will not be approved unless the relevant licenses have been approved.

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