Several airlines have delayed resuming or increasing flights to Hong Kong International Airport owing to a lack of staff on the ground, threatening the city’s post-Covid recovery as a global aviation hub, the Post has learned.

At least two airlines had planned to resume flights next month but were constrained by labour shortages at their ground handling companies, while some carriers reported that fees had doubled.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA), a trade group for airlines, said that with Asia now open to international travel, a shortage of manpower in the aviation industry was an issue affecting many regional markets, including Hong Kong.