Hong Kong’s Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) has granted startup Greater Bay Airlines a licence to operate scheduled commercial flights as travel demand in the city remains in the doldrums.

The new airline is cleared to operate scheduled passenger and cargo journeys on 104 routes with unlimited frequencies to and from Hong Kong, the ATLA said in a statement on its website. Greater Bay said the routes will cover the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea and destinations in the Asia Pacific region.

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Greater Bay Airlines operated its first cargo charter flight last November after receiving its air operator’s certificate in October, but until this week had not been approved to launch regularly scheduled commercial flights.

The airline will be competing against Hong Kong’s top airline Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines.

“With the licence granted by ATLA, it means that we can expedite preparation and confirmation of other regulatory requirements and launch preparations, such as applying for operating permits from different aviation authorities of places we plan to fly to,” stated Greater Bay chief Algernon Lau.