Oasis Hong Kong Airlines, which is 100% owned by Hong Kong investors, will begin its first non-stop flights from Hong Kong to London Gatwick on October 25 and this week started taking reservations.

For business travellers, businessOasis fares start from HK$6,600 one way. The seat pitch, designed for long-haul travel, is 32" in economyOasis and in business class 60", comparing favourably with other airlines.

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines currently owns two Boeing 747-400s and hopes to grow to five aircraft by the end of 2007. Engineering and maintenance will be carried out by HAECO, a leading aviation maintenance provider in Asia. The airline will also offer cargo services with Cargolux as GSA and HACTL as cargo handler. Other partnerships include LSG Sky Chefs for catering, Jardine Aviation Services as ground handling agent and customer services by PAM (Oasis).

Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is adopting a partnership approach to working with the travel trade, unlike some other low fare carriers in Asia. Trade commissions will be at market rates of 7% for all travel agents in Hong Kong. Travel trade partnerships are also in place with travel wholesalers, group tour operators, hotel package operators and sales agents for China, and with Radixx and Galileo for GDS and internet distribution services respectively.