With a Star-Studded ‘Gig on a Wing’
The best of British music, fashion, design and cuisine came together in Hong Kong for one night only, to celebrate British Airways launching its brand new A380 on the Hong Kong to London route. The exclusive event, billed as a ‘Gig on a Wing’ showcased the very best of British, to an audience that included Keith Williams, British Airways’ Chief Executive and special guests from Hong Kong’s aviation, travel, business, entertainment and hospitality industry.
Held inside Hong Kong International Airport’s China Aircraft Services Limited Hangar, British Airways’ state of the art A380 super-jumbo was the star of the show and it formed the centerpiece for the invitation only event.
Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “Today marks another milestone in our long and proud tradition of connecting Hong Kong and London – two truly global hubs. For over three quarters of a century, this city has been an important part of British Airways’ worldwide network, so we are extremely delighted to be operating the state-of-the-art A380 on the route, and to also be the first to fly it non-stop between Hong Kong and Europe.”
British Airways’ ‘Gig on a Wing’ event launched with a glamorous fashion show by acclaimed British designer Alice Temperley MBE. Fresh from showing at last month's London Fashion Week, Alice treated guests to her Spring / Summer 2014 collection from the award winning Temperley London collection.
Models descended the steps of the A380 aircraft onto British Airways’ specially created “runway” catwalk. Alice Temperley who has designed dresses for stars including Keira Knightly, Rihanna, Beyonce and The Duchess of Cambridge said: “I was thrilled to be asked by British Airways to showcase my new Spring/Summer 2014 collection in Hong Kong and at such a unique and glamorous event. The people here really appreciate cutting edge design, fine tailoring and effortless style, very similar to that of British Airways new A380”.
This was followed by an exclusive live performance from multi-platinum selling artist and former X-Factor winner Leona Lewis. Lewis performed tracks on a specially created stage, flush with the A380’s 261-foot twin-engine wing. Leona’s set included a cover of Lenny Kravitz’s “Fly Away”, her number 1 selling track “Bleeding Love” and "Come Alive".
Speaking after her performance, Leona Lewis said: “Performing on the wing of the British Airways A380 was an incredible experience and one I will never forget. After singing on top of a double-decker bus at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, I thought that would be a hard act to follow, but tonight’s ‘Gig on a Wing’ event was very special and unique”.
The Langham Hong Kong provided guests with a very British affair, treating them to savoury treats that included mini pork pies, Sunday roast and fish and chips canapés, followed by a true taste of British with an afternoon tea boasting a chocolate London bus, a marshmallow Big Ben and an Alice Temperley inspired vanilla shortbread. This was complemented by Flower Duet cocktails. Luxury five star hotel, The Langham Hong Kong, is located in the heart of Kowloon. Rich in tradition and refined over 140 years, The Langham Hotel combines the very best of the old and the new.
Supermodel Georgia May Jagger, daughter of Rolling Stones legend Mick Jagger took to the stage with Keith Williams to close the evening with a special prize draw, which consisted of two British Airways Club World tickets to London on the new A380 and a stay at The Langham London. Georgia May Jagger said: “I'm so happy British Airways invited me to Hong Kong on their first A380 flight. The service, food and flat beds on the long haul flights are second to none and I always arrive feeling well rested. I love Hong Kong too and look forward to returning and spending more time in this great city”.
British Airways operates two daily non-stop flights between Hong Kong and London Heathrow. The A380 will serve flight BA25 from London to Hong Kong, and BA26 from Hong Kong to London.
Visit www.ba.com for more information
British Airways
British Airways has a worldwide route network that covers more than 150 destinations in 75 countries. British Airways has been flying to Hong Kong for over 75 years and currently operates 14 flights a week between London Heathrow and Hong Kong. The airline is the first to launch an A380 service from Hong Kong to London, and flights on this aircraft commenced on October 23, 2013. The airline operates from the state-of-the-art Terminal 5 at London Heathrow, which is exclusive to British Airways’ and Iberia Airlines’ customers and is capable of handling 30 million customers a year. In May 2013, Terminal 5 was named by Skytrax as the World’s Best Airport Terminal for the second year running, based on surveys of 12 million frequent travellers. T5 also won the World’s Best Airport Shopping award. In September 2013, British Airways was awarded the Best Airline, Best Short-Haul Carrier, Best First Class, Best Frequent Flyer Programme and Best Airport Lounge for its facility at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, by Business Traveller following a survey of the magazine’s readers in the UK.
For further information on British Airways, please visit ba.com.
