Robert Yip (Chinese: 葉光), the chairman of China Rich Holdings, established CR Airways in Hong Kong on 28 March 2001.

[4][5] The airline received its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department (CAD) in 2002, with its first aircraft a Sikorsky S-76C+ helicopter, which could carry 12 passengers and fly at 285 kilometres per hour (177 mph).

[6] On 27 June 2003, CR Airways became Hong Kong's third passenger airline after receiving a revised AOC from the director-general of Civil Aviation.

[7] It started passenger charter operations to Laoag, Philippines on 5 July 2003, with a Bombardier CRJ200 leased from GE Capital Aviation Services.

[8][9] In September 2003, the airline applied for traffic rights to operate scheduled passenger services to Laoag and the Chinese cities of Jinan, Naning, Meixian and Wenzhou.

Mung's previous main business interest had been a 30% holding in a restaurant operator, Banana Leaf (Asia Pacific) Catering Group Company Ltd.[16] On 22 September 2006, CR Airways Ltd officially changed its name to Hong Kong Airlines Ltd, with a launch ceremony on 28 November 2006.

[citation needed] On 8 March 2012, the airline launched daily flights from Hong Kong to London Gatwick Airport with an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

[22] In 2013, Hong Kong Airlines concluded a system-wide strategy review to determine its priority routes for the immediate future with key focus areas on the Asia–Pacific region during this period.

[24] In late 2018, a series of leaders resigned from the carrier's management, including its board's two co-chairmen Mung Kin-keung and Zhang Kui, its chief financial officer and vice-chairman, and at least four other directors.

[26] The attempted expansion was draining the company financially,[clarification needed] and in March 2019, Hong Kong Airlines announced a cutback in its passenger fleet from 38 to 28 planes, and reduced services on some of its new international routes, including to Vancouver, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.

[29][30] HKA also discontinued its Fuzhou service in September 2019, while its San Francisco route was halted in October 2019 – less than two years after its launch in March 2018.

[33] On 18 February, HKA announced that it would suspend in-flight services such as food, drinks, pillows, and blankets to protect customers and crew during the pandemic.

[34] In June 2021, Hong Kong Airlines announced that it would ground its entire fleet of A320s, leaving only eight A330s flying in the interim and prioritising cargo, as part of its pandemic-survival plan.

[35] Hong Kong Airlines has resumed their flights to Hakodate, Denpasar, Maldives, Saipan and Taichung, Taiwan due to the boost of travelling markets.

On 22 August 2024, HKA Chairman Jeff Sun announced that Hong Kong Airlines will reboot the flights to Gold Coast (OOL) in January 2025.

At the mean time, Sun claimed they will import three used Boeing 787s from its parent company Hainan Airlines to the long-haul flights from Hong Kong to Canada and US re-introducing back in 2025;[citation needed] since the fleet of Airbus A350 had been sold in 2023.

[36] On 28 November 2024, it was reported that Hong Kong Airline will resume its long haul services with the resumption of routes to Gold Coast, Australia and Vancouver, Canada beginning 17 January 2025.

[47] The airline has joined the Caritas Fund Raising Bazaar for six consecutive years from 2009 and sponsored Hong Kong events marking the "World Diabetes Day 2012".