TRANSPORT
Hong Kong Dragon Airlines' (Dragonair) services to the Mainland were less affected by the Asian economic downturn. Dragonair began scheduled passenger services to Fuzhou in February 1998. With this addition, the airline now operates. scheduled services to 12 cities in the Mainland and eight other destinations in Asia, together with non-scheduled passenger services to other cities in the region, mostly in the Mainland. In addition, Dragonair continued to participate in the joint services between Bandar Seri Begawan and the HKSAR operated by Royal Brunei Airlines. Air Hong Kong (AHK) continued to operate scheduled all-cargo services to Manchester, Brussels, Dubai and Osaka.
Owing to the decline in demand for air travel, Grand International Airways, Air Niugini and Varig Brazilian Airlines suspended their scheduled services to the HKSAR in February, May and September 1998, respectively. As a result, the number of scheduled airlines serving the HKSAR decreased to 62. At the end of 1998, these airlines together operated about 1 500 direct round-trip services weekly between the HKSAR and some 100 other cities. An average of 200 non-scheduled flights operated each week.
At the end of 1998, the fleets of the three Hong Kong-based airlines were as follows:
Airline
Aircraft type
CPA
Dragonair
AHK
Number in service
A330-300
12
A340-300
11
B747-200
5
B747-200 freighters
3
B747-300
6
B747-400
19
B747-400 freighters
2
B777-200
4
B777-300
4
Total
66
A320-200
7
A330-300
6
Total
13
B747-200 freighters
3
255