Greater Bay Area Aircraft unveiled to promote Hong Kong's role as 'super connector'

HONG KONG -- An unveiling ceremony for the Greater Bay Area Aircraft took place at Hong Kong International Airport on Monday to further promote the city's role in global connectivity and the opportunities in China's Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).

The Greater Bay Area Aircraft, adorned with the promotional design livery that reads "Leveraging Hong Kong's Strengths, Developing a First-class Greater Bay Area," will operate flights between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland and overseas cities to promote the GBA and Hong Kong to the world.

During the ceremony, Erick Tsang Kwok-wai, secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, said that Hong Kong plays the role of a "super connector" between the Chinese mainland with the world, leveraging its dual roles in going global and attracting foreign investment for the GBA.

Tsang expressed his hope that the aircraft would serve as an "ambassador in the sky" to promote the GBA, raising awareness of the latest developments of the GBA.

Liza Ng, the chief executive officer of Greater Bay Airlines, said that through daily flights to and from different cities, the vision of the GBA will be promoted overseas, enabling more people to gain a deeper understanding of and actively participate in the GBA's development.

The airline has been established in support of the national strategy of developing the GBA, and will make its contributions as Hong Kong fully leverages its distinctive advantages of having strong support from the motherland and enjoying close connections with the world as well as its status as an international aviation hub to integrate into the overall national development, she said.

This initiative marks the first time Hong Kong has used an aircraft as a mobile platform to further promote the GBA to a global audience, following earlier promotional efforts to reach out to local communities through means of transportation such as buses, trams and ferries.