Saturday 21 June 2025

Sydney Airport has today welcomed its newest airline partner Hong Kong Airlines, with flight HX017 touching down at 9.30am.

The new daily service between Sydney and Hong Kong boosts seat capacity on the route by nearly 20 percent and was enabled by the first expansion of bilateral air traffic rights between Hong Kong and Australia in nearly two decades.

Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines currently flies to 30 cities and popular destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as more than 100 destinations worldwide.

Hong Kong Airlines will operate its Sydney service using an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, featuring 292 seats - 32 Business class seats in a 2-2-2 configuration and 260 Economy seats in a spacious 2-4-2 layout. The aircraft offers inflight entertainment, hot meals, and generous baggage allowances included, reflecting the airline’s commitment to comfort, quality and efficiency on long-haul routes.

Scott Charlton, Sydney Airport CEO, said: “We’re proud to welcome Hong Kong Airlines to Sydney as our 52nd airline partner with its strong reputation for service excellence, efficiency and value.

“This inaugural service comes on the back of the first expansion in bilateral air traffic rights between Australia and Hong Kong in 19 years and we thank the Albanese Federal Government for its role in enabling this important agreement, which reflects the strength of our longstanding cultural and economic ties.

“Expanding traffic rights delivers far-reaching benefits - from greater choice and connectivity for passengers to stronger opportunities for tourism, trade and investment. A daily service like this is estimated to generate up to $120 million annually for the local economy, reinforcing the critical role aviation plays in driving prosperity across the region.”

NSW Minister for Jobs and Tourism Steve Kamper said: “Hong Kong is a priority international market for NSW, with incoming travellers contributing substantially to the NSW visitor economy.

“The Minns Labor Government has made it very clear; we want to grow our visitor economy and the best way to do this is by increasing airline capacity and unlocking new international markets for NSW.

“We’ve set our sights on increasing the state’s aviation capacity by 8.5 million seats, and this new Hong Kong route will complement other new routes we’re securing as we work towards landing this goal.”

Hong Kong Airlines President Mr Jeff Sun said: "As a full-service local carrier, the launch of our Sydney service marks a significant step in our transformation from a regional to an international airline. Sydney is not only a popular destination for leisure and business travel but also one of Australia's most vital economic hubs. The expansion of the bilateral traffic rights agreement allows us to offer more choice to travellers in both cities, strengthening the connection between them."

He added, "While Hong Kong Airlines may be a younger brand in the mature Australian market, we are endeavouring in our commitment to providing quality service. We operate this route with our Airbus A330 aircraft, featuring comfortable business and economy class cabins, and strive to deliver a passenger-centric in-flight experience through attentive service and fine dining for our long-haul customers."

Notes to Editors

Facts about Sydney to Hong Kong route

• The historic connection between Sydney and Hong Kong dates back 75 years to 1949.
• Today, the Sydney to Hong Kong route remains one of Sydney Airport’s busiest, with more than 850,000 passengers flying between the two cities in 2024.
• Hong Kong is ranked as Sydney’s third-busiest city route after Singapore and Auckland.

Daily flight schedule information

About Hong Kong Airlines

• Established in 2006, Hong Kong Airlines is a full-service airline firmly rooted in Hong Kong.   
• The airline currently flies to 30 cities and popular destinations in the Asia-Pacific region, as well as more than 100 destinations worldwide.

Images and video footage of Hong Kong Airlines can be found here.