Hong Kong Airlines (HX, Hong Kong International) returned its last A350-900 to lessor ALAFCO on August 28, 2023, nearly four years after ceasing to operate the aircraft on revenue operations.
B-LGE (msn 235) was brought back from storage at Alice Springs on August 23. After a brief stopover at Hong Kong International airport, it was then ferried to Lourdes/Tarbes on August 28, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows. The aircraft has not operated any revenue flights since October 2019.
The ch-aviation fleets module shows B-LGE was the last of six A350-900s Hong Kong Airlines added in 2017-2018. The remaining five were retired between 2019 and 2021. Two have since been placed with Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras (AD, São Paulo Viracopos) (which plans to briefly retire the type), while the other three remain in storage.
Fangda Aviation (formerly Hainan Airlines Holding), the parent holding of Hong Kong Airlines, recently moved to terminate all A350 leases groupwide, including units operated by Hainan Airlines, due to the "changed market environment". The holding underwent deep restructuring precipitated by the financial issues of former parent HNA Group and the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Hong Kong Airlines is now a much smaller airline than it used to be. Its widebody fleet comprises nine A330-200s (all in storage) and ten A330-300s (four in storage). Following the recent investment agreement with Liaoning Fangda Group, the controlling owner of Hainan Airlines Holding, Hong Kong Airlines plans to add more A330s on intra-holding leases.
The carrier also operates twelve A320-200s, while its subsidiary Hong Kong Air Cargo operates five A330-200Fs.
