Hong Kong Airlines announced on Tuesday that it will cut 7 per cent of its passenger flights until the end of the year as it responds to a sharp fall in demand that is deepening its financial problems.

The city’s third-largest airline said that it would shrink its business in an attempt to limit losses from thousands of customers cancelling Hong Kong travel plans, South China Morning Post reported.

The airline will also slash the number of available air tickets for sale by 9 per cent.

“Travel demand has declined sharply due to recurring issues in Hong Kong. In response to the current market conditions, we have temporarily reduced our capacity,” a spokeswoman for Hong Kong Airlines said.

Last week, Cathay Pacific Airways, which controls three of the city’s four-passenger airlines, said that it would no longer expand by 6 per cent over the winter as it grappled with the protests and the impact of pressure from Beijing – factors which have led to steep declines in business on mainland China routes.

Addressing the cut in flights, the airline said it had left open the possibility of more reductions, hinting at putting staff on unpaid leave, but stressed there was “no plan” for job cuts.

“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make further adjustments if required, including internal arrangements to support our operation in the coming months,” the spokeswoman said.

Hong Kong has been shaken from huge mass protests for 15 consecutive weekends that caused the number of tourists coming to the city to drop sharply. Some 40 per cent fewer people visited in August, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said.

On average, Hong Kong Airlines has 50 passenger flights departing the city daily. In total, Hong Kong International Airport handles 450 departures carrying passengers every day, half of them from Cathay Pacific Group airlines.

On Sunday, hundreds of protesters took to their anti-Beijing message to the UK’s Consulate- General in Hong Kong as they called on the UK to take actions against China for allegedly failing to keep its so-called “one country, two systems” promise.

Last week, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam warned the United States not to “interfere” with her government’s response to the city’s pro-democracy movement after fresh protests called on Washington to ramp up pressure on Beijing.

Earlier in the month, Lam now has formally withdrawn the proposed law. The move meets one of five demands made by the protestors.