HK Express carried 3.79 million passengers in 2017, up 30% increase from the year before, and is targeting to carry 4.35 million passengers this year.

The carrier adds that it carried about 345,000 passengers in December, a record monthly high for the airline.

"Flying forward into 2018, HK Express will face fierce competition in Hong Kong's air transport industry, but we can expect more opportunities for the aviation industry due to the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge and the Hong Kong section of the Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Express Rail link," says its president Li Dianchun.

"HK Express will take this opportunity to ensure superlative service by focusing on passengers' needs."

In November, Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department banned the airline from expanding its fleet and launching new services following multiple flight cancellations during the 'Golden Week' peak travel period in early October.

The ban runs until 30 April, with the carrier only allowed to operate new destinations and flights when the regulator is satisfied that it has implemented measures to mitigate cancellations more effectively.

This could impact HK Express's fleet plans, which originally had nine Airbus A320neos to be delivered in 2017 and 2018, Flight Fleets Analzyer shows.

The airline now has 13 Airbus A320s and eight A321s in its fleet.

Source: Cirium Dashboard