Hong Kong Falls ‘Off the Map’ as Aviation Hub Amid Travel Curbs
- Recovery will lag behind rest of world, IATA head Walsh says
- City has been largely closed to world during pandemic
Empty Hong Kong International Airport on April 1.
Photographer: Paul Yeung/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Hong Kong has ceased to function as an international aviation hub as it curbs inbound flights and quarantines arriving passengers, according to a trade group representing hundreds of airlines worldwide.
“It’s effectively off the map now, and I think it’s going to be difficult for Hong Kong to recover,” Willie Walsh, director general of the International Air Transport Association, said at a briefing Wednesday. “It’s going to lag significantly behind the recovery that we’re seeing elsewhere and has led to a tough time for all airlines operating there.”