The Board of Airline Representatives (BAR) of Hong Kong, which represents more than 70 airlines, has requested that the government grant them temporary relief from landing and parking fees as well as rent and other operational costs, due to the falloff in travel demand following the continuing protests in the city.
In the letter to the government, BAR Chairman Ronald Lam, a senior executive at Cathay Pacific Airway said in the letter, quoted in the South China Morning Post, that the passenger numbers fell by double digits in August, which is expected to worsen in September and the reminder of the year.
“Many airlines have already reduced or cut their services to and from Hong Kong as many routes have become unprofitable due to declining passenger numbers,” Lam said.