Increased business and leisure travel demand in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area – a dynamic economic hub with a population of more than 88 million – will inject new vitality into the global aviation sector, said Neil Chernoff, chief planning and strategy officer of British Airways.

Hong Kong – a crucial node in British Airways’ network for decades – is well-positioned to lure more aviation passengers emerging from across the region through its mature intercity transportation links, he said.

This year marks the 90th anniversary of British Airways’ Hong Kong-London route. In a recent interview in Hong Kong, Chernoff highlighted the immense opportunities generated by the Greater Bay Area’s growth.

“One of the drivers of air travel is business, trade and investment,” he said. “Creating (such) a powerful economic zone will increase business and trade (travel demand), and then (follows) the tourism side, leisure traffic, also student traffic, visiting friends and relatives and cargo.”

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In 2024, the Greater Bay Area’s total economy output reached 14.79 trillion yuan ($2.22 trillion), surpassing that of the New York Bay Area and the San Francisco Bay Area.

“It’s 88 million people living in the Greater Bay Area. And that’s a much bigger market that’s open to us,” said Chernoff.

Currently, British Airways operates daily flights between London’s Heathrow Airport and Hong Kong International Airport – its sole destination in the Greater Bay Area.

Chernoff said the region’s seamless traffic network allows the single route to serve a broader market. “I could have flown to Hong Kong and take the ferry or train (to neighboring cities),” he said. “The more ways you provide people to get somewhere, I think it just creates more opportunities for travel.”

British Airways is upgrading its high-speed Wi-Fi service and business-class cabin on long-haul routes to attract more business travelers.

The airline runs seven direct routes across East Asia, Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka, including two in China – Hong Kong and Shanghai.

Viewing the vast Asia Pacific market as a future growth pillar for the aviation sector, the aviation company is expanding its footprint in the area via multiple approaches.

For instance, it has partnered with China Southern Airlines to offer code-sharing flights and transfer services to passengers in more Chinese mainland cities.

From January next year, British Airways will resume daily flights between London and Melbourne, Australia via Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to reinforce its region presence.

Chernoff also said the company maintains a long-term goal to reinstate the Hong Kong-London route to twice-daily flights, as it did before 2024. However, he said the vision is still constrained by many factors including high aviation fuel prices and the industry-wide shortage of wide-body aircraft.

British Airways remains committed to procuring sustainable aviation fuel from global suppliers, including existing partners in Hong Kong, to meet its net-zero carbon targets, he said.

Contact the writer at williamxu@chinadailyhk.com