Flights between Singapore and Hong Kong are getting a boost this year, with a brand new flight from a brand new airline added to the roster of options on this popular city pair from April 2024, in the form of a carrier you might never have heard of – Greater Bay Airlines, or GBA.
Currently operating a small fleet of second-hand Boeing 737s in an all-Economy Class layout, GBA has brand new planes arriving this year, which will see it introduce Business Class and Wi-Fi. Potentially, there are even wide-body jets in store for long-haul flights in the years ahead.
The airline has highlighted the recent launch of 30-day visa-free travel between Singapore and China for citizens of either country as a driving factor behind its Singapore route launch, highlighting anticipation that “the number of visitors to Singapore from Mainland China, including the Greater Bay Area, will go up”.
The schedule
Greater Bay Airlines will launch a daily flight between Singapore and Hong Kong from 26th April 2024, using 189-seat Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
Here’s how the schedule looks.
Greater Bay Airlines
Singapore Hong Kong
26th April 2024 – 26th October 2024
| Days | |||||||||
| M | T | W | T | F | S | S | |||
 |
HB258 737-800 |
||||||||
| SIN 14:45 |
HKG 18:45 |
||||||||
|
HB257 737-800 |
||||||||
| HKG 09:45 |
SIN 13:45 |
||||||||
Like most Singapore – Hong Kong flights these days, gate-to-gate time is scheduled at four hours each way.
For those heading from Singapore to Hong Kong with GBA, afternoon departure timing at 2.45pm with arrival at 6.45pm should allow you to reach the city in time for dinner, even following a half day at work.
From Hong Kong to Singapore the timing is probably less appealing, with 9.45am departure meaning an early check out from your hotel, and the 1.45pm touchdown back in the Lion City probably too late to squeeze in an afternoon in the office.
GBA service has not yet been loaded into the northern winter season from 27th October 2024 onwards at the time of writing, though this will presumably change in due course.
GBA will be the fourth airline to serve the Singapore – Hong Kong route, with three others operating the following frequencies, based on May 2024 schedules:
- Cathay Pacific (37/wk)
- Scoot (7/wk)
- Singapore Airlines (42/wk)
Cathay Pacific’s total includes an upcoming reinstatement of daily Singapore – Bangkok – Hong Kong flights from late March.
Even with GBA in the mix though, 93 weekly flights between Singapore and Hong Kong still doesn’t come close to the 137 on offer pre-COVID, based on January 2020 schedules.
Qantas Group carrier Jetstar Asia has not made a return to the route, and Cathay-owned HK Express operation in the post-COVID period was short-lived.
Fares
GBA is offering launch pricing on its Singapore – Hong Kong route for:
- SIN-HKG: HKD460 + tax
- HKG-SIN: HKD480 + tax
Once mandatory taxes and fees are included, this brings the cheapest round-trip ticket, which is widely available across most dates between May and October 2024, to HKD 2,085 (~S$360).
Note that GBA’s “Go Go” fares have no checked baggage allowance and are non-refundable and non-changeable, while seat selection is “paid or pot-luck”.
The airline also offers more expensive “Value Go” and “Flex Go” fare types, with greater inclusions for a higher price, or you can start with “Go Go” then pick and choose your bespoke preferred add-ons.
On many dates this summer, GBA’s fares aren’t even as cheap as Cathay, Scoot and SIA are offering, a reflection of the weak demand in this market.
The (relatively unknown) airline will certainly struggle, in our opinion, to woo passengers away from these incumbents, given the current pricing situation.
Which terminal?
GBA will operate to and from Terminal 4 at Changi, the same terminal used by Cathay Pacific and (until it ceased services on the Singapore – Hong Kong route) by HK Express.
T4 has only one third-party lounge, the Blossom Lounge, which is accessible with the likes of Priority Pass and DragonPass.
In Hong Kong, GBA uses Terminal 1, which has a variety of third-party lounge options including Chase Sapphire and Plaza Premium.
About GBA
GBA launched mid-pandemic, a challenging time to start an airline in Hong Kong amid the SAR’s strict (and seemingly ever-changing) travel and movement restrictions.
The airline was founded by Bill Wong Cho-bau, owner of Shenzhen-based Donghai Airlines.
Using a leased former Norwegian Air Boeing 737-800, the carrier started charter services initially in November 2021, but then commenced scheduled flights with a regular passenger service between Hong Kong and Bangkok in July 2022.
Currently GBA operates flights between Hong Kong and Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, Ho Chi Minh City and Manila, using a fleet of seven Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the same type it will deploy on the Singapore route from April this year.
The airline will withdraw from its four times weekly Ho Chi Minh City service on 22nd February 2024, two months before the Singapore route launches, keeping its destination count at seven.
MAXs with Business Class coming, and maybe Dreamliners
In March 2023, GBA confirmed orders for 15 brand new Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft, which the carrier says will form the backbone of its fleet, allowing “more flights between Hong Kong and major cities in Asia and Mainland China”.
This will also see the airline shift from a single-class service, with the introduction of Business Class, while the aircraft will also boast Wi-Fi entertainment and satellite internet access. The exact cabin layout and seat products have not yet been revealed.
These MAX 9 aircraft are due to be delivered between mid-2024 and 2027, and will no doubt make an appearance on the airline’s Singapore route before too long.
Part of the order deal with Boeing also included “commitments” for five Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, though the variant is not specified and any potential firm order and introduction timeline will be based on the carrier’s future planning for long-haul services, which GBA calls a “mid- to long-term plan”.
Summary
A newcomer to the Hong Kong airline scene, Greater Bay Airlines is an interesting carrier with big plans for the future, including Business Class cabins and even wide-body jets for long-haul routes.
GBA has included Singapore on its route network at a relatively early stage, less than a year after launching scheduled services, and this will see a fourth carrier on the Singapore – Hong Kong route this summer.
Fares are starting off relatively low at S$360 return, if all you need is hand luggage and you don’t care where on the plane you sit.
Problem is – everyone’s charging that this summer, even the full-service incumbents. GBA has its work cut out with this one.
(Cover Photo: Kevin Chung)
There’s the typo. Shouldn’t HB257 land in SIN at 13:45 instead of the stated 23:45?
Corrected thanks!
It seems the airline will cease its HKG-SIN service in May, just weeks after its launch.