Hong Kong Airlines has suspended bookings for its Gatwick to Hong Kong route after September 3 while it considers the future of the service, which launched just six months ago.
The all-premium daily service began on March 8 from Gatwick’s North Terminal with 82 Club Classic seats and 34 Club Premier seats. The concept aimed to provide a “private jet-style ambience and an exceptional crew-to-guest ratio”.
A spokesman for the airline said: “The HNA Group is now considering the future of the route. Hong Kong Airlines has not made an official statement to the UK office on the route’s future at this stage.”
The spokesman said a decision was likely to be made on the route imminently.
Hong Kong Airlines, controlled by China’s HNA Group, was established in 2006 with a route network covering 25 cities in Asia and Europe with a fleet of A330s and Boeing 737-800s.
Reuters reported on Friday that Hong Kong’s aviation regulator had halted the expansion of the airline following complaints about its service standards.
The Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department froze the fleet to its current size of 20, raising doubts about the carrier’s orders for 10 Airbus superjumbos.