Greater Bay Airlines Company Ltd. has formally applied to the Air Transport Licensing Authority of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to operate new routes between Hong Kong and 104 destinations, the regional government said in a Gazette notice published on Friday.

The Hong Kong start-up has applied for the right to operate more than 100 routes with Hong Kong International Airport as the "point of departure," according to the notice.

Among 104 destinations, 48 are cities across the Chinese mainland such as Beijing, Shanghai and Hangzhou, four in China's Taiwan, while the rest include Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok and other cities across Asia. The application features passenger transport, freight transport and mail services.

Greater Bay Airlines was founded by Bill Wong Cho-bau, owner of Shenzhen Donghai Airlines. Huang said earlier that he is optimistic about the prospects of the shipping industry in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

In October 2020, Cathay Pacific Airways announced to suspend operation of its subsidiary Cathay Dragon due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic. 

Currently, there are three passenger airlines in Hong Kong: Cathay Pacific, Cathay Pacific's Hong Kong Express, and Hong Kong Airlines.

(Cover: A flight information display board is seen at Hong Kong International Airport. /CFP)