Hong Kong Airport Authority Bolsters Southeast Asian Ties with New Aviation Agreements

Saturday, August 3, 2024

This week, the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) established strategic partnerships through four Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with leading aviation entities in Vietnam and Cambodia, aimed at enhancing air travel connections within Southeast Asia and supporting the Belt and Road Initiative.

The signing ceremonies were presided over by John Lee, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Tran Luu Quang, Deputy Prime Minister of Vietnam. In Hanoi, Fred Lam, Chairman of AAHK, entered into agreements with the Airports Corporation of Vietnam, Vietnam Airlines, and the Sovico Group, which owns VietJet Air.

These agreements between Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) and various Vietnamese stakeholders are designed to foster management exchanges, operational improvements, service enhancements, and personnel training through the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy. They also aim to advance sustainable practices within the aviation sector.

A further MoU was executed in Phnom Penh by Fred Lam and Cyril Girot, CEO of Société Concessionnaire de l’Aéroport, overseeing Cambodia’s international airports. With John Lee and Sun Chanthol, Deputy Prime Minister of Cambodia as witnesses, this agreement focuses on increasing the operational links and service standards between HKIA and Cambodia.

Fred Lam, Chairman of AAHK, said, “We are delighted to have signed these important MoUs with our partners to facilitate the opening of more routes and to increase the frequency of flights connecting with Hong Kong. We are pleased that airlines on both sides have responded positively. We are also committed to nurturing and enriching aviation industry practitioners. Since 2017, our Aviation Academy has been providing a diverse range of programmes and courses to over 230,000 local, Mainland China, and overseas participants. We are glad that our expertise and experience are valued by our neighbours in Southeast Asia.”

As of July, there were weekly schedules of 85 flights combining passengers and cargo between HKIA and Vietnam, and 10 similar pairs between HKIA and Cambodia.

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