HK-Harbin flights resume ahead of int'l trade fair

HARBIN - Hong Kong Airlines will resume its Hong Kong-Harbin route on June 13 to accommodate the influx of passengers attending an international trade fair that opens in Northeast China on June 15, local authorities said Tuesday.

Hong Kong Airlines will operate three flights per week between the two cities two days before the 23rd China Harbin International Economic and Trade Fair, which is good news for both the fair and future cooperation between the two regions, said Qiu Jian, who works with the Heilongjiang Airports Management Group Co Ltd.

Attendance at the upcoming trade fair in Harbin, capital of Heilongjiang province, which borders Russia, is expected to reach an all-time high, as the number of foreign exhibitors registered as of March had already doubled that of last year.

Nearly 1,000 foreign exhibitors, mainly from Russia, the Republic of Korea, Japan and countries from Northeast and Southeast Asia and the European Union, have registered for the trade fair, Sun Yao, vice-governor of Heilongjiang, said in March.

Official records show that the 2011 fair saw $17.82 billion worth of overseas-related contracts signed.

The Hong Kong-Harbin route was first launched by Hong Kong Airlines in 2008, but was canceled in February 2012 due to a low attendance rate.