View source for Hong Kong Airways

{{Short description|Flag carrier of British Hong Kong}}
{{Distinguish|Air Hong Kong|HK Express|Hong Kong Airlines|Oasis Hong Kong Airlines}}
{{More citations needed|date=May 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2015}}
{{Infobox airline
| airline = Hong Kong Airways
| image = HongKongAirwaysLogo.jpg
| caption = Hong Kong Airways logo
| IATA = 
| ICAO = 
| callsign = 
| founded = <!-- {{Start date|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD}}<br />City, [[State/Province]], Country -->
| commenced = 1947
| ceased = 1959
| bases = [[Kai Tak Airport]]
| fleet_size = 4
| destinations = 8
| parent = [[British Overseas Airways Corporation]] (1947 – 30 November 1949)<br>
[[Jardine Matheson Holdings|Jardine Matheson & Co.]] (1947–1959, sole ownership after 1949)
| headquarters = [[British Hong Kong]]
}}
{{Infobox Chinese
| title = Hong Kong Airways
| t = 香港航空
| j = Hoeng1 gong2 hong4 hung1
| y = Hēung góng hòhng hūng
| s = 香港航空
| p = Xiānggǎng Hángkōng
| showflag = j
}}

'''Hong Kong Airways''' ('''HKA''') was the [[flag carrier]] of [[British Hong Kong]] during the late 1940s and 1950s.

==Context of launch==

In 1946, Jardine Air Maintenance Company (JAMCo) had been formed to serve the rapidly expanding portfolio of airlines serving Hong Kong, and Jardine Airways was formed as the general sales agent of [[BOAC]] and other carriers in Hong Kong and China. HKA was formed in 1947 by BOAC and [[Jardine Matheson Holdings|Jardine Matheson & Co.]] ({{Lang|zh|怡和}}). Jardines wanted to develop a Hong Kong carrier with the support of an enterprise backed by the [[British government]]. BOAC wanted to create a feeder carrier to transport passengers from their London to Hong Kong service to onward destinations in China and the [[Far East]]. Additionally, the British government wanted to develop a new market for British manufactured aircraft. Jardines was the general sales agent of HKA and became the owner before selling to government-backed partner BOAC.

==Fight for air transport services in Hong Kong==

In May 1949, an agreement was signed by [[Cathay Pacific]] ([[John Kidston Swire|Jock Swire]]) and BOAC (on behalf of Hong Kong Airways) along Governor [[Alexander Grantham]]'s lines of route allocation to each party. Cathay secured the valuable routes of [[Bangkok]], Singapore, [[Haiphong]], [[Saigon]], [[Sandakan]], [[Jesselton]], [[Labuan]], and [[Rangoon]] (with an extension possible to [[Calcutta]]). This left HKA with [[Guangdong|Canton]], [[Macau|Macao]], [[Shanghai]] and [[Tientsin]], not, after all, Japan.{{Clarify|date=May 2024|reason=What does 'not, after all' mean in this context?}}{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

On 1 December 1949, BOAC sold Hong Kong Airways back to Jardines,<ref>{{cite news |title=B.O.A.C. Sell Out in Hong Kong|date=28 November 1949|work=Dundee Courier |accessdate=8 July 2014 |url=http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000564/19491128/062/0003| publisher = [[British Newspaper Archive]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref> but it soon ran for cover to another 'big brother', in a charter association with the American company [[Northwest Airlines]] for its Taipei and Tokyo services.{{Clarify|date=May 2024}}{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

In 1953, the [[British government]] attempted to form a single regional airline by bringing about a [[Mergers and acquisitions|merger]] between BOAC, Cathay Pacific, and Hong Kong Airways. This eventually led to Cathay Pacific taking over Hong Kong Airways on 1 July 1959, with BOAC getting 15 per cent of Cathay Pacific's shares and a seat on the Board.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==Legacy==

On 1 November 1950, JAMco merged with [[Swire]]/[[Cathay Pacific]] maintenance interests to form [[HAECO]], with Jardines receiving a parcel of [[HAECO]] shares, though this gradually waned. HKA itself merged with [[Cathay Pacific]] on 1 July 1959. Jardine Airways remained the exclusive General Sales Agent in Hong Kong for [[British Airways]] until the year 2000.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

Another Jardine affiliate, Eupo Air ({{lang|zh-Hant-HK|歐亞}}) chartered seats for distribution primarily amongst the Chinese community on British Airways flights on the Hong Kong to London route from 1983 to 2002, a similar partnership to that of HKA and [[Northwest Airlines]] in the 1950s.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

As of 2013, Jardines' largest aviation interest in Hong Kong is its ground handling business, [[Jardine Aviation Services]]. However, Eupo Air still partners with British Airways and Jardine Travel to provide retail agency service, and corporate travel & expense management.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

As of 2013, the [[Swire Group]] is still the principal shareholder in Cathay Pacific. [[Dragonair]], now owned by Cathay Pacific as [[Cathay Dragon]], is flying some of the routes originally pioneered by HKA.{{Update span|date=May 2024}}{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

== Fleet ==
Hong Kong Airways operated a fleet of aircraft including:
* 1 [[Douglas DC-3]]<ref name="ASN19490711">{{cite web |date=2009-08-06 |title=Accident description – Douglas C-47A-40-DL VR-HDQ |url=http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19490711-0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240526034833/https://aviation-safety.net/asndb/336375 |archive-date=2024-05-26 |accessdate=2009-08-06 |website=[[Aviation Safety Network]] |publisher=[[Flight Safety Foundation]]}}</ref>
* 1 [[Douglas DC-4]]<ref name=21MAY54/>
* 2 [[Vickers Viscount]] V760D
** VR-HFI leased from BOAC Associated Companies – sold to [[Malaysia Airlines#1947–1963: Malayan Airways|Malayan Airways]] in 1959
** VR-HFJ leased from BOAC Associated Companies – sold to Malayan Airways in 1959

== Destinations ==
* British Hong Kong
** [[Hong Kong]] – [[Kai Tak Airport]]<ref name=21MAY54>{{cite news|title=The World's Airlines|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1954/1954%20-%201523.html|work=Flight|publisher=[[Reed Business Information]]|date=21 May 1954|accessdate=6 August 2009}}</ref> '''[[Airline hub|Main hub]]'''
* China
** [[Guangzhou]] – [[Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport (former)|Pai Yuen Airport]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Civil Aviation News|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%201770.html|work=Flight|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=21 October 1948|accessdate=6 August 2009}}</ref>
** [[Shanghai]] – [[Shanghai Longhua Airport]]<ref>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong-Shanghai Service|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1948/1948%20-%200010.html|work=Flight|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=1 January 1948|accessdate=6 August 2009}}</ref>
** [[Taipei]]<ref name=21MAY54/> (until 1949)
* Taiwan (since 1949)
** [[Taipei]]<ref name=21MAY54/> - [[Taipei Songshan Airport]]
* Japan
** [[Tokyo]]<ref name=21MAY54/> - [[Haneda Airport]]
*[[History of Ryukyu Islands|Ryukyu Islands]]
** [[Okinawa Island|Okinawa]]<ref name=21MAY54/> - [[Naha Airport]]
* Philippines
** [[Manila]]<ref name=22AUG58>{{cite news|title=Hong Kong|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1958/1958-1-%20-%200277.html|work=Flight|publisher=Reed Business Information|date=22 August 1958|accessdate=6 August 2009}}</ref> - [[Ninoy Aquino International Airport|Nichols Field]]
* South Korea<ref name=22AUG58/>
**[[Seoul]] - [[Gimpo International Airport]]

== Incidents and accidents ==
* On 11 July 1949, a Hong Kong Airways [[Douglas DC-3]] (VR-HDQ) from Hong Kong to [[Guangzhou|Canton]], overran the runway during takeoff at [[Kai Tak Airport]] and crashed into the water. The aircraft sank after rescue operations. There were 11 occupants on board the aircraft, {{Citation needed span|text=including three crew and eight passengers,|date=May 2024|reason=This piece of information does not appear to be listed in the source provided.}} with no fatalities reported.<ref name=ASN19490711/>

== References ==
{{reflist}}
pg 117 of "Beyond Lion Rock" Young, Gavin 1988
pg 236 of "The Thistle & the Jade" Keswick, Maggie Ed. 1982

{{Portalbar|Hong Kong|Companies|Aviation}}
{{Navbox Airlines of Hong Kong}}

[[Category:Defunct airlines of Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Airlines established in 1947]]
[[Category:Airlines disestablished in 1959]]
[[Category:1947 establishments in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Jardines (company)]]