Radio 3’s annual Operation Santa Claus Charity Auction will be happening on Tuesday December 12th at 8.55 in the morning…for 24 hours only. With all sorts of amazing lots that you can eat, drink, admire, and experience, by taking part you’ll be having fun while raising money for the 16 charities we are helping assist the needy of Hong Kong via this year’s 36th anniversary Operation Santa Claus campaign.

Once again we’re doing it all online, in conjunction with our morning business programme Money Talk. Join host Steven Filby and guests next Tuesday and Wednesday mornings at 8.55, for the launch and the finale.

In the meantime, go to the auction site, where you can have a look at what’s on offer in our growing list of items, you can register to bid, and… right now you can also donate any amount you like to Operation Santa Claus 2023.
 

It's almost time for Santa Claus to come to town. He's made his list and he's checked it twice. So, right across December he'll be popping In... The Common Room, via 'Santallite' from the grotto in Lapland, to update you on all his Christmas preparations.

Don't miss Santa's Festive Updates at 5.20pm each December weekday... until the big day ... In The Common Room!

Operation Santa Claus 2023 is ON!

This beloved annual charity fundraising drive, jointly organized by RTHK and the South China Morning Post, is, for the 36th time, helping those in Hong Kong who need it the most. Operation Santa Claus has raised more than 369 million Hong Kong dollars for over 338 wonderful charity projects over the years.

If you would like to help by donating any amount at all, by arranging your own fundraising event, or by taking part in ours, just visit the website for all the details.

You can also follow Operation Santa Claus on Facebook and Instagram

No one has ever become poor from giving...

On Monday's Backchat, we're talking about the aviation sector's performance.

Speaking at a media briefing in Geneva, the head of the international body IATA, Willie Walsh, described Hong Kong's recovery as "stronger than expected" -- a promising outlook he attributed to increased cooperation between Hong Kong-based airlines and others in the Greater Bay Area. It was also revealed that worldwide air traffic had reached 98.2 percent of pre-Covid levels in October, although international flights are taking longer to recover. 

Also in aviation news, China's homegrown C919 and ARJ 21 jets are to be showcased at Hong Kong International Airport on Tuesday -- the first time that the two passenger aircraft have been flown outside of the mainland's airspace. There's also a low fly-past over Victoria Harbour scheduled for 10:30am next Saturday.

Meanwhile, Hong Kong's flagship carrier Cathay Pacific has just welcomed its first batch of partially locally trained pilot graduates, in a move analysts say is part of the airline's goal to localise its workforce.

So what does this all mean for the future of aviation in Hong Kong? Is 2024 poised to be an auspicious year for the sector?

After 9:45, we talk about football development in Hong Kong -- following the announcement that international superstar Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates will play a pre-season friendly in the SAR in February. 

Let us know what you think.  You can leave a message on our Facebook page, email us at backchat@rthk.hk or call us on 23388266.

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