Hong Kong Airlines will extend deployment of its Airbus A350-900 aircraft on flights to and from Vancouver to a permanent schedule from March 22, 2019, according to the airline’s online schedule.

This will give travellers a notable increase in the availability of business class seats: 33 compared to just 18 in the A330-200 that now flies this route. The A350’s business class seat product also offers slightly improved width and pitch (legroom).

The Hong Kong-based carrier had previously planned to fly the A350-900 on its services to the British Columbian city for just one month starting January 1, before reverting to the A330-200. The airline still plans to temporarily switch back to the A330-200 after January 31, but passengers will have to wait less than two months before the new generation A350 makes a return.

Business Traveller has previously reviewed Hong Kong Airlines’ older A350 business class product – which is the product on the Hong Kong-Vancouver route – on the carrier’s Los Angeles route.

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Hong Kong Airlines has been expanding its long-haul network over the past two years, with North America being a key focus. Along with existing non-stop services to Vancouver, Los Angeles and San Francisco – all of which it launched in the past 18 months – the airline also has plans to fly non-stop to New York in the near future.