 |
|
| Hong Kong airline industry recovers from SARS |
| CCTV.COM 2003-07-16 16:07:34 |
|
The SARS epidemic hit Hong Kong's civil aviation industry very hard. But there are now signs that the industry has bottomed out of the recession and is heading for a full recovery.
The SARS epidemic dealt an unprecedented shock to the Hong Kong airlines industry. Passenger volumes dropped nearly 80 percent in May, compared with the same period last year.
Since SARS has been contained, airlines with flights to and from Hong Kong have tried to attract customers with low priced tickets. Hong Kong's tourism industry has also launched various promotional campaigns overseas to try and restore tourists confidence in the region while the retail sector has echoed the efforts with sales promotions.
All these efforts have contributed to the recovery of Hong Kong airlines to their normal levels of business.
The passenger volume at the Hong Kong International Airport has now risen to 80 percent of the pre－SARS level, and 46 percent of the cancelled flights have resumed operation. Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific says it will restore all of its flights by the end of September.
The Hong Kong Airport Authority has predicted a full recovery by the end of this year.
|
|
Editor: Xiao Wei CCTV.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
