In “Signs this isn’t good”, Hong Kong Airlines will be discontinuing In-flight Entertainment on its aircraft.
In a simple statement, the airline says
Inflight entertainment system out of service
Hong Kong Airlines’ inflight entertainment system will be out of service from 1 December 2019 until further notice.
We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers. Hong Kong Airlines will work with our vendor to resume the service as soon as we can.
It sound simples doesn’t it? Except if we look into the circumstances, it paints an alarming picture as the airline is struggling to meet bills.
Earlier this month, the airline struggled to pay its staff wages (with only cabin crew and oversees staff paid on time – the rest of the staff will have to wait. Combined with crunch meetings with the Hong Kong Air Transport Licensing Authority and the route cutbacks announced yesterday – effectively ending their long haul operation.
In addition, as AirlineRoutes notes, the airline is slicing its services to Seoul and Haikou.
Let’s not make any bones – content for IFE systems costs cash – mainly due to licensing rights to show a programme or film to passengers and that cash has to come from somewhere. Combined with Hong Kong Airlines other issues (along with the tangled web it weaves with its owner HNA Group) and the airline not being able to pay bills, the picture is not rosy.
Plan Ahead
I’ll repeat the advice I put in yesterdays article – word for word.
If you are planning to travel with Hong Kong Airlines – services, as they are now, are operating as timetabled.
However, if you have future travel plans with the airline in the medium-term, please ensure you have adequate travel insurance.
I’ll adjust that now
If you are planning to travel with Hong Kong Airlines – services, as they are now, are operating as timetabled.
However, if you have future travel plans with the airline, please ensure you have adequate travel insurance.
Just in case the worst does happen.
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