Tan Yifan

Cicitan2011@gmail.com

CATHAY Pacific Airways, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, is spreading its wings in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), with the aim to lure more customers and help increase the flow of people and cargo in the area, especially between Shenzhen and its neighboring city — Hong Kong.

The airline, Hong Kong’s largest, which takes over 80% of the local market, said Tuesday that it chose Shenzhen to set up its GBA headquarters and plans to become a preferred high-end airline for international travel in the GBA.

“We are not only a Hong Kong airline company, but a GBA-based carrier. We want to expand our home market concept to the whole area. Hong Kong enterprises should keep in line with the national strategy to achieve their long-term development,” said Wilson Yam, general manager of Cathay Pacific’s Greater Bay Area.

“We want to settle our headquarters in Shenzhen because it is a key city in the Belt and Road area and a world-class science and technology center. It’s young, creative and dynamic. In Shenzhen, we are able to embrace the GBA market,” Yam said.

According to Yam, Shenzhen has enabled his team to offer and test their intermodal services, allowing passengers to transfer more conveniently from their departure locations to the Hong Kong International Airport or from the airport to their destinations in the GBA.

They also leverage Shenzhen’s digital technology to upgrade their services and conduct trials through WeChat miniprograms, e-commerce and live- streaming platforms.

“One of our missions is to speed up the flow of people and goods in the GBA. With the convenient transportation provided by Hong Kong’s airport and we are confident to bring more talent to Shenzhen and the GBA,” Yam said.