Hong Kong Express Airways

Hong Kong Express Airways

Hong Kong Express Airways Limited (Chinese: 香港快運航空有限公司, formerly 港聯航空有限公司; Jyutping: hoeng1 gong2 faai3 wan6 hong4 hung1 jau5 haan6 gung1 si1), is an airline based in Hong Kong, with its main hub at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline operates scheduled passenger services to 19 destinations in seven countries across Asia, including codeshares with its sister airline, Hong Kong Airlines. It has an all Boeing fleet of narrow-body aircraft and a confirmed joint order, with Hong Kong Airlines, of 51 narrow- and wide-body aircraft with Airbus.

The airline was incorporated on 10 March 2004 and was owned by Macau casino entrepreneur Stanley Ho. It became Hong Kong's fourth passenger airline when it received a revised air operator's certificate in July 2005. The same month, the airline took delivery of its first 76-seat twinjet Embraer 170 and became the Asian launch operator of the regional jet. The airline's initial use of its first Embraer 170 was on charter services to Taichung on 3 September 2005, followed by scheduled passenger services to Guangzhou on 8 September. On 3 August 2006, HNA Group, the parent company of Hainan Airlines, announced a finalized agreement to acquire a 45 percent stake in the airline and the approval was received on 16 September. The airline became a sister airline with Hong Kong Airlines (formerly CR Airways), which HNA Group also owned a 45 percent stake. Since the beginning of 2007, the airline went through some major expansions and changes. These include the replacement of its four Embraer 170s with the introduction of the next generation Boeing 737-800. The introduction of scheduled passenger services to 15 new destinations across Asia as well as the introduction of a new brand identity and Chinese name.