On 1st September 2017, Hong Kong Airlines received its first A350-900 and started operating the new VIP lounge "Club Autus" in the Hong Kong Airport. On 10th September 2017, the first new Airbus A350-900 aircraft was put into commercial operation to and from Bangkok. In December 2017, Hong Kong Airlines started operating a direct flight to Los Angeles with the A350-900, as well adding San Francisco in March 2018 as more A350-900 arrived to the fleet.

However, the rapid expansion that defined 2017–2018 soon emerged as a double-edged sword. In 2018, Hong Kong Airlines opened several other long-haul and international destinations—adding San Francisco, the Maldives, Manila, and Moscow to its route map, and continuing to innovate its in-flight product with enhanced meals and new Airbus A350 business-class configurations. By late 2018, financial pressures had begun to surface, precipitating significant leadership changes including the resignation of co-chairmen and other senior executives, and the appointment of a new chairman from its parent group.

These pressures deepened in 2019, when a combination of geopolitical tensions (notably the China–US trade dispute), local unrest in Hong Kong, and the financial strain of sustaining unprofitable long-haul services forced the airline to retrench. It cut back its passenger fleet from 38 to 28 aircraft and significantly reduced or suspended North American and other long-haul flights. The focus shifted back toward more profitable regional Asian markets with increased emphasis on routes to Haikou, Hangzhou and Sapporo.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 added a further layer of existential challenge. With international travel demand collapsing worldwide, Hong Kong Airlines entered an acute survival phase—grounding its A320 fleet entirely, prioritising cargo operations where possible, and suspending major services. The airline implemented workforce reductions, including cutting around 10 % of roles and instituting unpaid leave or reduced workweeks for remaining staff as part of a broader cost management strategy.

By 2021, although passenger operations had not fully recovered, the company began adapting technology to improve health-safe travel. The focus remained on preserving liquidity and operational sustainability, with many routes still suspended or operating at reduced frequencies. In 2022 the airline began a slow restoration of services as pandemic borders reopened. Routes were gradually reinstated and scheduled operations increased, particularly within Asia. However, it was in 2023 that a new strategic chapter began to unfold. With a strategic investment and restructuring programme underway, Hong Kong Airlines sought to reposition itself not merely as a regional Asian carrier but as a growing international airline once more. Newly launched destinations such as Beijing Daxing, Fukuoka, Phuket, Nagoya, and Hakodate reflected a strengthened focus on Northeast and Southeast Asian traffic, and were supported by the addition of three Airbus A330-300 wide-body aircraft that provided greater range and capacity, essential for mediums-to-long-haul routes.

The momentum accelerated in 2024, with Hong Kong Airlines reopening several key Asian markets that had been dormant during the pandemic. New scheduled passenger services were inaugurated to Vientiane, Da Nang, Xining, Taichung, Chiang Mai, and Sendai, broadening the airline’s network into Indochina, East Asia, and Southwest China. A landmark change in the fleet was the introduction of the airline’s first Airbus A321 in May 2024, a narrow-body aircraft that enhanced operational flexibility on short- and medium-haul routes.

One of 2025’s most notable developments was the airline’s return to long-haul international markets, signalling a full-fledged strategic turnaround. After several years of retreat from long-haul service, Hong Kong Airlines restored direct service to Vancouver beginning 18 January 2025, these long-haul services were supported by Airbus A330 aircraft and reflected renewed confidence in international travel demand.

Beyond route restoration, Hong Kong Airlines continued to enhance its service proposition and customer experience, including restoring full meal service across cabin classes and upgrading lounge amenities. Elevating catering, baggage policies, and lounge experience were operational moves intended to align the carrier more closely with full-service airline standards. By late 2025, it expanded its international footprint further to Australia, inaugurating new direct flights to Melbourne in December.

After the gradual retirement of its Airbus A350 fleet by 2023, the airline focused on A330 variants and newer narrow-body Airbus jets such as A320s and A321s to match its diverse route structure.

Today, Hong Kong Airlines has come a long way from it's cyclical evolution: from ambitious global expansion and the introduction of long-haul services, through significant financial retrenchment and pandemic survival, to a carefully strategised resurgence aimed at restoring and expanding global connectivity. The airline’s history in this period illustrates not only the challenges of operating in highly competitive international aviation markets, but also its resilience and adaptive strategy in response to economic disruption, global health crises, and shifting travel dynamics.