Hong Kong Airlines has issued 9,800 plane tickets to be distributed among Hong Kongers, free of charge, as part of a governmental campaign to encourage overseas tourism, media reported on Monday.
As users rushed to book their free tickets, the carrier's website crashed temporarily, and when it recovered many users said they were repeatedly kicked out of the electronic queue, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
Those who succeeded in booking a free flight will be able to use it within six months, the report said.
In 2022, the Hong Kong government launched its Hello Hong Kong programme aimed at encouraging local residents to travel abroad and thus decrease the pressure on the region's economy as it is recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic.
A total of 80,000 free plane tickets are set to be distributed among local air carriers, such as HK Express, Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines.
In related news, Cathay Pacific has officially restarted its non-stop flights between South Africa and Hong Kong after a three-year pause.
The airline has reintroduced three weekly flights, reconnecting the country with Hong Kong and extending its reach to other destinations beyond.
“As demand for corporate and leisure travel to Hong Kong and other key markets grows, the resumption of flights to Hong Kong, and connecting our customers to the rest of the Greater Bay Area with a wide range of reliable and convenient inter-modal services couldn’t have arrived at a better time,” said Rakesh Raicar, Cathay Pacific's regional general manager for South Asia, Middle East, and Africa.