South African Airways discontinued its Hong Kong (HKG)–Johannesburg (JNB) route on Dec. 14. The airline flew the route four times a week with an Airbus A340-300 wide-body.

“This decision has been taken to curb significant financial losses incurred on the route, exacerbated recently by the ongoing political tensions in Hong Kong,” SAA said in a statement.

SAA is struggling with cash flow due to a week-long strike over wages and job cuts. Meanwhile, civil unrest in Hong Kong continues for the sixth month.

“The decision to suspend services to Hong Kong is regrettable, but necessitated by the current downturn in business due to the developing challenges in the region. By suspending these flights, we can concentrate on resuming more regional services at the earliest opportunity and make better use of all our resources,” said Philip Saunders, chief commercial officer, SAA.

In recent months, several airlines reduced or dropped routes to and from Hong Kong.

“These include the home-based carrier Cathay Pacific, as well as Air China, Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, United Airlines and others. The impact of these reduced operations is further reinforced by a year-on-year decline of 13% in passenger volumes recorded at Hong Kong International Airport in October 2019,” SAA said.