In a blow to Hong Kong’s revival as an aviation hub, Virgin Atlantic Airways said it would close its office in the city and end Hong Kong-Heathrow flight service
contributed to its decision to end its service. The airline previously said it would resume Heathrow-to-Hong Kong service in March 2023 after suspending service in December 2021.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has added additional disruption to airlines crossing the globe. Numerous Western countries have closed their airspace to Russian aircraft in recent months, prompting reciprocal measures from Russia that have shut off a crucial corridor for many long-haul flights, particularly between Europe and Asia.
Traffic has plummeted because of border restrictions. Hong Kong International Airport handled 2.4 million passengers in the 12 months through August, more than doubling from the same period a year earlier, but well below the 74.8 million passengers that it handled during the comparable period in 2019, according to official statistics.
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