Greater Bay Airlines dismisses team over flight cancellations, What more you need to know?

Published on February 12, 2025

By: Paramita Sarkar

Greater Bay Airlines (GBA) has dismissed the management team responsible for the cancellation of over 100 flights in February and March 2025, citing failure to follow protocol, poor decision-making, and inadequate communication.

The airline made the announcement in a report submitted to Hong Kong’s Civil Aviation Department (CAD), emphasizing its commitment to stricter operational oversight.

According to the report, 128 flights affecting 5,500 passengers traveling to and from Thailand, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan were disrupted due to mismanagement by a newly formed team.

The airline admitted that despite hiring experienced personnel from other carriers, the team failed to adhere to cancellation procedures, delayed key decisions, and inadequately communicated the changes to customers.

As a result, the individuals involved have been removed from their roles, and the airline has implemented weekly management reviews to prevent future disruptions.

Additionally, higher-level authorization will now be required for any flight cancellations.

Greater Bay Airlines Strengthens Customer Service After Crisis

The airline acknowledged that the cancellations overwhelmed customer service operations, as it struggled to manage an influx of calls, emails, social media inquiries, and in-person requests.

To address this, Hong Kong Telecom was engaged to handle the surge in inquiries, and additional staff were deployed as volunteer customer service representatives.

Passengers affected by the cancellations were offered refunds, rebooking, re-routing, and compensation on a case-by-case basis.

The airline confirmed that customer requests were resolved by January 26, before the Lunar New Year travel rush.

External Factors Also Contributed to Flight Disruptions

While most cancellations were due to internal mismanagement, the report noted that four flights were affected by external circumstances, particularly the closure of South Korea’s Muan International Airport following a fatal Jeju Air crash on December 29, 2024, which resulted in 179 casualties.

The airport will remain closed until at least April 2025, further impacting airline operations in the region.

Greater Bay Airlines described the incident as the “greatest challenge” since its inception, stating: “We own what happened, understand the true causes, and have taken necessary actions to support affected travelers.”