Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, or simply Cathay Pacific, is the
flag carrier
A flag carrier is a transport company, such as an airline or shipping company, that, being locally registered in a given sovereign state, enjoys preferential rights or privileges accorded by that government for international operations.
Histo ...
of
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, with its
head office and main
hub located at
Hong Kong International Airport. The airline's operations and its subsidiaries have scheduled passenger and cargo services to more than 190
destinations and more than 60 countries worldwide including
codeshares and joint ventures.
Cathay Pacific operates a fleet consisting of
Airbus A321neo
The Airbus A321neo is a Single-aisle aircraft, single-aisle airliner created by Airbus. The A321neo (''neo'' being an acronym for "new engine option") is developed from the Airbus A321 and Airbus A320neo family. It is the longest stretched fusela ...
,
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
Airbus began developing larger A300 derivatives in the mid–1970s, giving rise to the A330 twinjet as well as the Airbus A340 quadjet, and launched both designs along ...
,
Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is a flight length, long-range, wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the Airbu ...
, and
Boeing 777
The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long-range wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777 is the world's largest twinjet and the most-built wide-body airliner. ...
aircraft. Cathay Cargo operates two models of
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
. Defunct wholly owned subsidiary airline
Cathay Dragon, which ceased operations in 2020, operated to 44 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region from its Hong Kong base. In 2010, Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo (previously Cathay Pacific Cargo
), together with Cathay Dragon, transported nearly 27 million passengers and more than 1.8 million tons of cargo and mail.
Cathay Pacific was founded on 24 September 1946 by Australian
Sydney H. de Kantzow and American
Roy C. Farrell. The airline celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016. As of March 2024, its major shareholders are
Swire Pacific with a 45% stake,
Air China
Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
with 30% and
Qatar Airways with 9.9%.
Cathay Pacific is one of the founding members of
Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
. The airline is ranked as a 5-star airline and has been ranked as the world's best airline four times by
Skytrax. In 2018, it was the 19th-largest airline group in the world ranked by traffic.
As of 2024, it is ranked as the fifth best airline in the world.
History
1946–1960: The early years

Cathay Pacific Airways was founded on 24 September 1946 in Hong Kong.
Sydney "Syd" de Kantzow,
Roy Farrell,
[ Neil Buchanan, Donald Brittan Evans and Robert "Bob" Stanley Russell were the initial shareholders.][ Buchanan and Russell had already worked for de Kantzow and Farrell at Roy Farrell Import-Export Company, the predecessor of Cathay Pacific,] that was initially headquartered in Shanghai.[ Both de Kantzow and Farrell were Ex-Air Force pilots who had flown The Hump, a route over the ]Himalaya
The Himalayas, or Himalaya ( ), is a mountain range in Asia, separating the plains of the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau. The range has some of the Earth's highest peaks, including the highest, Mount Everest. More than 100 pea ...
n mountains. Farrell purchased the airline's first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II.
It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper ...
, nicknamed ''Betsy'', at Bush Field, New York City in 1945.[ The company began freight services on 28 January 1950 from Sydney to Shanghai, after Farrell and Russell flew the plane to Australia and obtained a licence to carry freight (but not passengers) earlier that month.][ Its first commercial flight was a shipment of Australian goods.][ The profitable business soon attracted attention from ]Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
government officials.[ After several instances where the company's planes were detained by authorities in Shanghai,][ on 11 May 1946, the company relocated, flying its two planes to Hong Kong. Farrell and de Kantzow re-registered their business in Hong Kong on 24 September 1946 as Cathay Pacific Airways Limited,] while another sister company, The Roy Farrell Export Import Company (Hong Kong) Limited, was incorporated on 28 August 1946[ and chartered some flights from Cathay.][ (According to ''International Directory of Company Histories'', two companies were formed for tax purposes.][)
They named the airline '' Cathay'', the ancient name given to ]China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, and ''Pacific'' because Farrell speculated that they would one day fly across the Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
[ (which happened in the 1970s).] Moreover, to avoid the name "Air Cathay" as it had already been used in a comic.[ The Chinese name for the company ("") was not settled on until the 1950s. It comes from a Chinese idiom meaning "Peace and Prosperity" and was at the time often used by other businesses called "Cathay" in English.
According to legend, the airline's unique name was conceived by Farrell and some foreign correspondents at the bar of the Manila Hotel,][ while another narrative was the name was taken in the Cathay Hotel in Shanghai Bund, during drinking and brainstorming, and choosing Cathay was to avoid the word China in the airline name.][ On Cathay Pacific's maiden voyage, de Kantzow and Peter Hoskins flew from Sydney to Hong Kong via ]Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
.[ The airline initially flew routes between Hong Kong, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Shanghai, Saigon, Bangkok,][ with additional chartered destinations.][ The airline grew quickly. By 1947, it had added another five DC-3s and two ]Vickers
Vickers was a British engineering company that existed from 1828 until 1999. It was formed in Sheffield as a steel foundry by Edward Vickers and his father-in-law, and soon became famous for casting church bells. The company went public in 18 ...
Catalina seaplanes to its fleet.[
In 1948, a new ]legal person
In law, a legal person is any person or legal entity that can do the things a human person is usually able to do in law – such as enter into contracts, lawsuit, sue and be sued, ownership, own property, and so on. The reason for the term "''le ...
of Cathay Pacific Airways was incorporated,[ with John Swire & Sons (now known as Swire Group),] China Navigation Company, Australian National Airways
Australian National Airways (ANA) was Australia's predominant aerial carrier from the mid-1930s to the early 1950s.
The Holyman's Airways period
On 19 March 1932 Flinders Island Airways began a regular aerial service using the Desoutter Mk.I ...
being the new shareholders of the new entity,[ acquiring the assets from the old legal person;][ the old legal person, was renamed into Cathay Pacific Holdings, as well as retaining 10% shares of the new Cathay Pacific Airways.][ de Kantzow, Farrell and Russell were the shareholders of Cathay Pacific Holdings at that time.][ It was reported that the colonial British government of Hong Kong required the airline was majority-owned by the British. Despite de Kantzow being a British subject through his Australian roots, Farrell was an American, thus forcing them to sell their majority stake.][ Under Swire's management, de Kantzow remained in the airline until 1951,][ while Farrell had sold his minority stake in Cathay Pacific soon after Swire's takeover in 1948, due to his wife's health problems.][ He returned to Texas and became a successful businessman.][
Swire later acquired 52% of Cathay Pacific Airways. , the airline is still owned by Swire Group to the extent of 45% through its subsidiary Swire Pacific Limited, as the largest shareholder.][ However, Swire Group also formed a ]shareholders' agreement
A shareholders' agreement (sometimes referred to in the U.S. as a stockholders' agreement) (SHA) is an enforceable agreement amongst the shareholders or members of a company. In practical effect, it is analogous to a partnership agreement. There ...
with the second largest shareholder, Air China
Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
(which controlled by state-owned China National Aviation Holding), which Cathay Pacific and Air China had a cross ownership.
In the late 1940s, the Hong Kong Government divided the local aviation market between Cathay Pacific and its only local competitor, the Jardine Matheson-owned Hong Kong Airways:[ Cathay Pacific was allocated routes to the south (including South-East Asia and Australia), while Hong Kong Airways was allocated routes to the north (including mainland China, Korea, and Japan). The situation changed with the establishment of the People's Republic of China and the ]Korean War
The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...
, which reduced the viability of the northern routes. In 1959, Cathay Pacific acquired Hong Kong Airways,[ and became the dominant airline in Hong Kong.
Under Swire, another important sister company, HAECO, was established in 1950.][ Nowadays, it's one of the major aeroplane repair service companies of Hong Kong with divisions in other cities of China.
]
1960–1990: Expansion
The airline thrived during the late 1950s and into the 1960s, culminating in its acquisition of Hong Kong Airways on July 1, 1959. Between 1962 and 1967, the airline recorded double digit growth on average every year and became one of the world's first airlines to operate international services to Fukuoka
is the List of Japanese cities by population, sixth-largest city in Japan and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancient times. ...
, Nagoya
is the largest city in the Chūbu region of Japan. It is the list of cities in Japan, fourth-most populous city in Japan, with a population of 2.3million in 2020, and the principal city of the Chūkyō metropolitan area, which is the List of ...
and Osaka
is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...
in Japan. In 1964, it carried its one millionth passenger and acquired its first jet engine aircraft, the Convair 880
The Convair 880 is a retired American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jet airliner produced by the Convair division of General Dynamics. It was designed to compete with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 by being smaller but faster, a niche that f ...
. In 1967, it became an all jet airline with the replacement of its last Lockheed L-188 Electra with a Convair 880.
In the 1970s, Cathay Pacific installed a computerised reservation system and flight simulators. In 1971, Cathay Pacific Airways received the first Boeing aircraft 707-320B. By 1972, it had five 707s. The new aircraft colour was known as Brunswick green. In July 1976, it began operating a Boeing 707 freighter from Hong Kong to Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore.
In 1974, Cathay Pacific almost purchased the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 to open a new flight route. During the flight route application process with the British government
His Majesty's Government, abbreviated to HM Government or otherwise UK Government, is the central government, central executive authority of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. , due to the pressure from the British government, Cathay Pacific changed the application to apply for a route from Hong Kong to London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
using a Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
. The application was ultimately rejected. In 1979, the airline acquired its first Boeing 747 and applied for traffic rights to fly to London in 1980, with the first flight taking place on 16 July.
Expansion continued into the 1980s. In 1982, Cathay Pacific Airways introduced Cathay Pacific Cargo (now Cathay Cargo), which provided cargo service to initiate the trend of Hong Kong becoming one of the largest re-export trading ports of the world. The airline's long-haul dedicated cargo services started a twice a week with Hong Kong-Frankfurt-London service operated jointly with Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks List of largest airlin ...
. Cathay Pacific kept its service to Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
in 1983, with service on to San Francisco in 1986, when an industry-wide boom encouraged route growth to many European and North American centres including London, Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, Frankfurt, Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
, Rome, Paris, Zurich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
.
On 15 May 1986, the airline went public and was listed in the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
1990–2000: Rebranding, renewal, and Oneworld
In January 1990, Cathay Pacific and its parent company, Swire Pacific, acquired a significant shareholding in Dragonair, and a 75% stake in cargo airline Air Hong Kong in 1994. In 1994, the airline launched a program to upgrade its passenger service, including a HK$23 million program to update its image. Its logo was updated in 1994, and again in 2014.
The airline began a fleet replacement program in the mid 1990s, which cost a total of US$9 billion. In 1996, CITIC Pacific increased its holdings in Cathay Pacific from 10% to 25%, and two other Chinese companies, CNAC(G) and CTS, also bought substantial holdings, while the Swire Group holding was reduced to 44%. According to the ''International Directory of Company Histories'', the sale of a 12.5% stake of Cathay Pacific by Swire Pacific to a Chinese state-owned company was regarded "as evidence of China's sincerity in maintaining the prosperity of Hong Kong."
In 1997, Cathay Pacific updated the registration numbers and flags on its fleet in conjunction with the handover of Hong Kong
The handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to the People's Republic of China was at midnight on 1 July 1997. This event ended 156 years of British rule in the former colony, which began in 1841.
Hong Kong was established as a specia ...
from the United Kingdom to China.
On 21 May 1998, Cathay Pacific took the first delivery of the Boeing 777-300 at a ceremony in Everett. On 21 September 1998, Cathay Pacific, together with American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
, British Airways
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...
, Canadian Airlines, and Qantas
Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...
, co-founded Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
airline alliance. Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the domestic and international operations of Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Philippine ...
during its two-week shutdown from 26 September to 7 October 1998. The airline was hurt by the 1997 Asian financial crisis
The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
, but recorded a record HK$5 billion profit in 2000.
Transfer to Chek Lap Kok and transpolar flights
On 5 July 1998, Cathay Pacific operated its last flight from Kai Tak International Airport to London Heathrow Airport
Heathrow Airport , also colloquially known as London Heathrow Airport and named ''London Airport'' until 1966, is the primary and largest international airport serving London, the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingd ...
, with the former airport ceasing operations after more than 73 years of operation. The next day, Cathay Pacific began flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to the new Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport. This flight was also the world's first nonstop transpolar flight from New York to Hong Kong.
2000–2010: Industrial troubles and acquisitions
The year 2000 saw Cathay Pacific experience labour relations issues while completing the acquisition of Dragonair.
The 49ers – employment dispute
In 2001, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA) launched a " work to rule" campaign to further its campaign for pay improvements and changes to roster scheduling practices. The action involved pilots refusing to work flights that were not scheduled on their roster. Although this alone did not cause extensive disruption, rostered pilots began to call in sick for their flights. Combined with the work-to-rule campaign, the airline was unable to cover all of its scheduled flights, and cancellations resulted. Cathay Pacific steadfastly refused to negotiate with the HKAOA under threat of industrial action.
On 9 July 2001, reportedly following a comprehensive review of the employment histories of all its pilots, the company fired 49 of its 1,500 pilots. This group became known colloquially as "the 49ers". Nearly half of the fired pilots were captains, representing five percent of the total pilot group. Of the 21 officers of the HKAOA, nine were fired, including four of the seven union negotiators.
Then-HKAOA president Captain Nigel Demery took the view that "the firing was pure intimidation, a union-bust straight up, designed to be random enough to put the fear in all pilots that they might be next, no reason given".[ The dismissals were challenged in a number of legal proceedings, but none were reinstated. The airline later offered the 49 pilots it terminated in 2001 the chance to reapply for pilot positions with its cargo division, guaranteeing such applicants first interviews, subject to passing psychometric testing. Nineteen former employees applied and twelve were offered jobs.
On 11 November 2009, 18 of the 49ers succeeded in the Hong Kong Court of First Instance concerning their joint claims for breach of contract, breach of the Employment Ordinance, and defamation.
Judge Anselmo Reyes ruled that the airline had contravened the Employment Ordinance by dismissing the pilots without a valid reason, adding that they had been sacked primarily because of union activities. He also held that remarks by then-chief operating officer Philip Chen Nanlok and current chief executive Tony Tyler after the sackings were defamatory. The judge handed the pilots a victory in their long-running legal battle, with individual awards of HK$3.3 million for defamation together with a month's pay and HK$150,000 for the sackings.
On 24 December 2010, judges Frank Stock, Susan Kwan and Johnson Lam of the ]Court of Appeal
An appellate court, commonly called a court of appeal(s), appeal court, court of second instance or second instance court, is any court of law that is empowered to Hearing (law), hear a Legal case, case upon appeal from a trial court or other ...
overturned the judgment of the lower court to the extent that the claim for wrongful termination of the contract was dismissed. The finding that Cathay Pacific wrongly sacked the 18 pilots for their union activities was upheld. The court upheld the defamation claim but reduced the damages for the defamatory comments made by Cathay Pacific management. The judges also modified the judgment awarding payment of legal costs to the pilots and instead said that they should now pay some of Cathay's costs.
The leader of the 49er Plaintiffs, Captain John Warham, launched a book titled ''The 49ers – The True Story'' on 25 March 2011.
The pilots were awarded leave on 26 October 2011 to take their case to the Court of Final Appeal. The matter was heard before Hon. Mr. Justices Bokhary, Chan and Ribeiro who are all Permanent Judges of the Court of Final Appeal. The matters to be decided upon by the Court concerned wrongful termination of contract and the level of damages for defamation. The case was heard by the Court of Final Appeal on 27 August 2012.
On 26 September 2012, 11 years after they were sacked, the 49ers were finally judged to have won the 3 prime issues of their legal case: breach of contract, breach of the Employment Ordinance, and defamation. The Court of Final Appeal agreed with the Court of Appeal's methodology for reducing the defamation damages. However, it reinstated one month's salary for each of the 49ers.
Regarding breach of contract, the overall picture leading to dismissal and events immediately after were analysed by the courts, not just the dismissal letter. Regarding the Employment Ordinance, an important aspect was that the judge defined the scope of "union activities" and its protection for workers in Hong Kong. The Court concluded: "Accordingly, most (possibly all) union-sponsored action is potentially protected by s 21B(1)(b), but if the action is not carried out "at nappropriate time", it is excluded from the provision". There was no challenge by Cathay Pacific to the Court of Appeal's decision to uphold the original Judge's conclusion that the statements made by Cathay Executives were defamatory of the plaintiffs.
John Warham, referring to the effect the fight has had on pilots' families, said: "In terms of human life, three people are dead because of what Cathay Pacific did to us. That's on their conscience, I hope they can live with that."
Acquisition and downsizing of Dragonair
On 28 September 2006, the airline underwent a shareholding realignment under which Dragonair became a wholly owned subsidiary but continued to operate under its brand. Acquiring Dragonair meant gaining more access to the restricted, yet rapidly growing, mainland China market and more opportunities for sharing of resources. CNAC, and its subsidiary, Air China, acquired a 17.5 percent stake in Cathay Pacific, and the airline doubled its shareholding in Air China to 17.5 percent. CITIC Pacific reduced its shareholding to 17.5 percent and Swire Group reduced its shareholding to 40 percent.
Dragonair had originally planned significant international expansion. It was already operating services to Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
and Tokyo, and was to have a dedicated cargo fleet of nine Boeing 747-400BCF aircraft by 2009 operating to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco and Columbus. It had also acquired three Airbus A330-300 aircraft to commence services to Sydney and Seoul
Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...
.
Following the acquisition by Cathay Pacific, Dragonair's proposed expansion plans underwent a comprehensive route compatibility analysis with the Cathay network to reduce duplication. Dragonair services to Bangkok and Tokyo were terminated, and new services launched to Sendai, Phuket, Manila, and Kathmandu. With the merging of similar departments at the two previously separate airlines, some Dragonair staff have had their employment contracts transferred to Cathay Pacific, except Dragonair Pilots and Cabin Crew and others made redundant due to the efficiencies gained in the merger. This resulted in an approximately 37 percent decrease in the amount of staff contractually employed by Dragonair.
In January 2016, Cathay Pacific announced it was rebranding Dragonair as Cathay Dragon.
On 21 October 2020, Cathay Pacific announced that it would shut down all operations of Cathay Dragon and merge it with its parent company due to the lack of customers and heavy economic problems brought by the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
. This merger marked the end for the subsidiary carrier after 35 years of operation. Cathay Pacific and its wholly owned subsidiary, HK Express, would take over Cathay Dragon's existing routes.
Economic challenges
To celebrate the airline's 60th anniversary in 2006, a year of roadshows named the "Cathay Pacific 60th Anniversary Skyshow" was held where the public could see the developments of the airline, play games, meet some of the airline staff, and view vintage uniforms. Cathay Pacific also introduced anniversary merchandise and in-flight meals served by restaurants in Hong Kong in collaboration with the celebrations.
In June 2008, Cathay Pacific entered into a plea bargain A plea bargain, also known as a plea agreement or plea deal, is a legal arrangement in criminal law where the defendant agrees to plead guilty or no contest to a charge in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor. These concessions can include a ...
with the United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice (DOJ), also known as the Justice Department, is a United States federal executive departments, federal executive department of the U.S. government that oversees the domestic enforcement of Law of the Unite ...
in respect of antitrust investigations over air cargo price-fixing agreements. It was fined US$60 million. The airline has subsequently set up an internal Competition Compliance Office, reporting to chief operating officer John Slosar, to ensure that the Group complies with all relevant competition and antitrust laws in the jurisdiction in which it operates. The breaches for which Cathay Pacific Cargo were being investigated in the US were not illegal under Hong Kong competition law.
In September 2008, three of Cathay Pacific's top ten global accounts, Lehmann Brothers, AIG and Merrill Lynch, hit financial trouble.
In March 2009, the airline reported a record full-year loss of HK$8.56 billion for 2008, which was also the carrier's first since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis
The 1997 Asian financial crisis gripped much of East Asia, East and Southeast Asia during the late 1990s. The crisis began in Thailand in July 1997 before spreading to several other countries with a ripple effect, raising fears of a worldwide eco ...
. The record loss included fuel-hedging losses of HK$7.6 billion and a HK$468 million charge for a price-fixing fine in the US It had to scrap its final dividend. The hedging losses were a result of locking in fuel prices at higher than the prevailing market price. As of the end of 2008, Cathay Pacific has hedged about half of its fuel needs until the end of 2011. The airline at the time estimated that it would face no further cash costs from the hedges if the average market price stood at US$75, enabling it to recoup provisions it made in 2008.
The flattening out of fuel prices resulted in Cathay Pacific recording a paper fuel hedging gain for its half-year reports for 2009. However, as a result of the global economic situation, the Group reported an operating loss. Given the current economic climate, and in line with the steps being taken by other major airlines around the world, the airline has undertaken a comprehensive review of all its routes and operations. This has resulted in frequencies being reduced to certain destinations, ad hoc cancellations on other routes, deferred capital expenditure, parked aircraft and introduced a Special Leave Scheme for staff to conserve money. According to CEO Tony Tyler, the yield from passengers was "hugely down" and the airline had lost "a lot of premium traffic". He noted that it could take 20 passengers in economy
An economy is an area of the Production (economics), production, Distribution (economics), distribution and trade, as well as Consumption (economics), consumption of Goods (economics), goods and Service (economics), services. In general, it is ...
to make up for the lost revenue of one fewer first class passenger flying to New York from Hong Kong.
2010–2020: Scandals and stagnancy
In 2010, the airline set another record high profit, amounting to HK$14.05 billion despite record losses set in the same decade. At the same time, Cathay Pacific had taken delivery of several new aircraft types, including the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER. Tony Tyler left his position as CEO at the airline on 31 March 2010 to pursue his new job at the IATA. Chief operating officer John Slosar had succeeded as the new CEO. In addition, New Zealand's Commerce Commission had dropped charges against Cathay Pacific concerning the air cargo price-fixing agreements. In 2014, the airline underwent the largest network expansion in recent years which included the addition of links to Manchester
Manchester () is a city and the metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester, England. It had an estimated population of in . Greater Manchester is the third-most populous metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, with a population of 2.92&nbs ...
, Zurich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and Boston
Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...
.
On 8 October 2016, Cathay Pacific retired their last passenger Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
(a 747–400 with reg B-HUJ) with a farewell scenic flight around Hong Kong after more than 35 years of service of the type. Cathay operated the 747 since August 1979, when it was inaugurated on services to Australia.
During the first half of 2016, Cathay Pacific's passenger yields fell 10 per cent, to the lowest in seven years as competing airlines from mainland China increased direct service to the U.S. and Europe, hurting the company's revenue from its Hong Kong hub. In October, Cathay Pacific scrapped its profit forecast for the second half of the year, less than two months after its issuance.
From 15 September 2016, Cathay Pacific decided to reintroduce fuel surcharge on many flights after its half-year net profits dropped more than 80% and it suffered HK$4.5 billion loss from wrong bets on fuel prices.[ As of September 2016, oil prices were halved from 2014 and stayed below US$50 a barrel.]
2017–2019 transformation
Under new leadership, the airline started to transform its business after suffering from 2 years of consecutive loss. The strategy focuses on 5Ps – Places, Planes, Product, People, and Productivity to find new sources of revenue, deliver more value to its customers and improve efficiency and productivity.
The airline restructured its organisation to be more agile and faster in decision making as well as responding to customers' needs. It has also launched 13 new routes since 2017, introduced a wide range of changes to its service, including bringing back hot meals on its most busy route between Hong Kong and Taipei, designed an inflight menu that features famous Hong Kong dishes served in all cabins, and revamped its Business Class service proposition to provide more choice, more personalisation, better presentation and improved quality in its food and beverages offerings.
The airline has also invested significantly in other hard product and digital offerings such as an upgraded website, new or refurbished lounges across its network, including the first airline lounge yoga studio at The Pier – Business in Hong Kong. Wi-Fi was introduced in 2017 and will be retrofitted across its fleet by 2020.
In February 2019, the airline issued a profit alert to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange indicating a profit of HK$2.3 billion for the 2018 financial year, signaling early signs of success of its transformation.
2018 data breach
In 2018, the airline discovered a data breach. Data of around 9.4 million passengers were compromised during the breach, with 860,000 passport numbers, 245,000 Hong Kong identity card numbers, 403 expired credit card numbers, and 27 credit card numbers without CVV being accessed. However, no passwords were stolen. The breach was suspected in March 2018, but was confirmed only in May 2018. In March 2020, the company was fined £500,000 (U.S. $639,600) by the British Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) and avoided the heftier penalty of U.S. $564 million under the European Union's GDPR-derived data privacy laws, which were not in force during the discovery of the breach.
2019: Acquisition of HK Express
On 27 March 2019, Cathay Pacific officially announced it would acquire HK Express, the only low-cost carrier in Hong Kong, citing to "expect synergies in generating a new business model and is a practical way to support long-term development and to enhance competitiveness". The transaction takes Cathay Pacific HK$4.93 billion total. The transaction is closed was July 2019, and HK Express became Cathay Pacific's wholly owned subsidiary.
2019–2020: Hong Kong protests
During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Cathay Pacific employees participated in protests at Hong Kong International Airport. The Beijing government, which is a shareholder in Cathay Pacific, ordered Cathay to suspend any employees who participated in the protest. Cathay chairman John Slosar responded, "We employ 27,000 staff in Hong Kong doing all sorts of different jobs... we certainly wouldn't dream of telling them what they have to think about something." Cathay Pacific later suspended a pilot who was arrested during a protest, and CEO Rupert Hogg declared his support of the government, and reiterated that employees who violated the company's code of conduct could be dismissed. On 16 August, Hogg resigned due to "intense criticism" from Chinese authorities as a result of Cathay staff participating in the protests. Chief customer and commercial officer Paul Loo also resigned. By late September, Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon had terminated the employment of 31 aviation professionals, or forced their resignations, on the basis of their participation in protests or expressions of support for them.
2020–present: COVID-19 pandemic, recovery and ongoing developments
2020: Recapitalisation and government bailout
On 9 June 2020, Cathay Pacific, Swire Pacific and Air China
Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
halted stock trading pending an announcement. On 10 June, Cathay Pacific and the Government of Hong Kong jointly announced a HK$39 billion recapitalisation plan and rescue package for Cathay Pacific. In the rescue package, the Government of Hong Kong will be issued HK$19.5 billion dividend-paying preference shares and HK$1.95 billion of warrants, giving it a 6% stake. The stake of the three major stakeholders, Swire Pacific, Air China, and Qatar Airways, would fall to 42%, 28% and 9.4% due to the government stake. Also, Cathay Pacific would receive a HK$7.8 billion bridging loan and the Government would have the right to appoint two observers on Cathay's board. The finance secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan said, "It is not our intention to become a long-term shareholder of Cathay Pacific."
2020–2022: COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
led to travel bans and significantly reduced flight demands, which caused Cathay Pacific to cut international flights in response. In 2020, 96% of all flights from March to May were cancelled, while the group's subsidiary HKExpress suspended all flight operations from 23 March to 30 April 2020, due to reduced demand. At one point during the crisis, only 582 passengers flew with Cathay Pacific in an entire day.
In December 2020, the company said that it expected losses in the second half to be higher than the losses of the first half due to low demand, restructuring charges, and impairments on its fleet.
In 2021, the company posted a record annual loss of US$2.8 billion for 2020. It was also announced that the company would cut an additional 8,500 jobs.
On 22 April 2021, the company began its job cuts by closing its Canada pilot base, on the same day they began consultation with pilots at their Australia and New Zealand pilot bases regarding base closure in those jurisdictions. Pilots with the right to live and work in Hong Kong would be offered employment, however, those without the right to live and work in Hong Kong would face redundancy. On the same day, the company announced that they would review its bases in Europe and the United States later in the year.
On 12 May 2021, the company announced the closing of its Frankfurt pilot base. Around 50 pilots' jobs were at risk. As with the Canada base closing announced two and a half weeks earlier, pilots with the right to live and work in Hong Kong would be offered jobs, while those without the right to live and work in Hong Kong would face redundancy.
In June 2021, the company said that losses in 1H 2021 were expected to be lower than US$1.27 billion in 2020, due to cost-saving measures and strong demand for cargo flights.
In 2023 and in conjunction with the Airport Authority Hong Kong's "World of Winners" campaign, which aimed to promote tourism within Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
, the airline provided some of the 500,000 tickets in the campaign, and released them in tranches for each region. Participants were required to register for its frequent flyer program and fill in a registration form on the date for the region the participant was in.
2023–2024: Mass flight cancellations
From December 2023 to January 2024, Cathay had to trim its schedules by an average of twelve flights per day through to the end of February to avoid significant flight cancellations over the peak Lunar New Year period. The pre-emptive decision comes as the airline grapples with a significant pilot shortage.
The cancellations were mainly on routes with multiple daily services, allowing Cathay to transfer booked passengers onto same day services. The carrier is also under some scrutiny in Hong Kong after a spate of flight cancellations since 24 December 2023, including forty flights over four days. Cancellations peaked on 7 January when the airline axed 27 flights at short notice.
After slashing its workforce during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, local news outlets say Cathay Pacific is now experiencing significant difficulties recruiting pilots, especially senior pilots. According to ''The Straits Times
''The Straits Times'' (also known informally by its abbreviation ''ST'') is a Singaporean daily English-language newspaper owned by the SPH Media Trust. Established on 15 July 1845, it is the most-widely circulated newspaper in the country and ...
'', around 1,000 of the airline's 4,000 pilots were made redundant during the pandemic, while a further 1,000 resigned, effectively reducing Cathay's pilot pool by 50% over the period.
On 12 December 2024, it was reported that Cathay have met their target of hiring 3,400 pilots to bring the airline back to pre-pandemic capacity. The airline is also planning to add another 100 pilots in January 2025. Prior to the pandemic, Cathay had a base of 3,800 pilots.
2024–present
On 8 January 2025, Cathay Pacific announced that the airline will be returning to Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
, their 12th destination in Europe and the second Italian destination after Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
. The flight on this route will commence on 5 June 2025, operated by Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
Corporate affairs, identity and senior leadership
Business trends
The key trends for Cathay Pacific are (as of the financial year ending December 31):
Head office
Cathay Pacific's head office, Cathay City, is located at Hong Kong International Airport.[ "Address Head Office: Cathay Pacific City, 8 Scenic Road, Hong Kong International Airport, Lantau, Hong Kong"] Cathay City was scheduled to be built in increments between April and September 1998. The headquarters opened in 1998. Previously the airline's headquarters were at the Swire House, which was a complex in Central named after the airline's parent company.
Major shareholders
* Swire Pacific 45%
* Air China
Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
29.99%
* Qatar Airways 9.61%
* HKSAR government 6.08%
Subsidiaries and associates
Cathay Pacific has diversified into related industries and sectors, including ground handling, aviation engineering, and inflight catering.
Companies with Cathay Pacific Group stake include:
Livery
From June 1971 until November 1994, Cathay Pacific aircraft used a "lettuce leaf sandwich" livery in Brunswick green and white over bare metal and carried the British flag on the empennage. After the handover, aircraft carry the Brand Hong Kong logo and with ''HONG KONG'' or in Chinese ''香港'' under or beside the Brand Hong Kong logo instead of using the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag. The HKSAR flag has never appeared on any aircraft.
All Cathay Pacific aircraft carry the following livery, logos and trademarks: the "Brushwing" livery on the body and the vertical stabiliser, introduced in the early 1990s, and was first deployed on a Boeing 747–400 (VR-HOT, later re-registered as B-HOT), ahead of the launch of Airbus A340
The Airbus A340 is a long-haul, long-range, wide-body passenger airliner that was developed and produced by Airbus.
In the mid-1970s, Airbus conceived several derivatives of the Airbus A300, A300, its first airliner, and developed the A340 qu ...
service for Cathay Pacific. It also features the "Asia's world city" brandline, the Brand Hong Kong logotype and the dragon symbol; the Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
logo and the Swire Group logo. For most aircraft, the fuselage were all-white livery with a light green cheatline under cabin windows, but for some Cathay Pacific Cargo aircraft, especially Boeing 747-200F, they were bare-metal livery instead.
The brushwing logo consists of a calligraphic stroke against a green background; the stroke is intended to appear like the wing of a bird. The previous logo, consisting of green and white stripes, was in place from the early 1970s until 1994.[Cathay Pacific takes to the sky with new logo]
." '' New Sunday Times''. 15 September 1994. Page 18. Retrieved from Google News
Google News is a news aggregator service developed by Google. It presents a continuous flow of links to articles organized from thousands of publishers and magazines.
Google News is available as an app on Android, iOS, and the Web. Google ...
(10 of 51) on 9 December 2011.
On November 1, 2015, the airline revealed a refreshed version of its previous livery, featuring a simpler paint scheme while maintaining its trademark brushwing on an all-green tail. It was first unveiled on a Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPM), in preparation for the delivery of the first Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is a flight length, long-range, wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the Airbu ...
for Cathay Pacific. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in June 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
and returned to its lessor in September 2021 at the expiration of its lease. The second aircraft was a freighter aircraft, Boeing 747-400ERF (B-LIA). Repainting was completed in November 2024.
On June 18, 2023, Cathay Pacific updated its freighter livery, which replaced the "Cathay Pacific Cargo" text with the larger "Cathay Cargo" text, as part of Cathay Pacific's rebranding. It was first unveiled on a Boeing 747-8F (B-LJN). An Airbus A330-300 (B-HLV) was the last remaining aircraft that had the classic "Brushwing" livery until it was repainted in November 2024.
Senior leadership
* ''Chairman:'' Patrick Healy (since November 2019)
* ''Chief Executive:'' Ronald Lam (since January 2023)
List of former chairmen
# E. McLaren (1948)
# E. G. Price (1948–1949)
# C. C. Roberts (1949–1950)
# E. G. Price (1950); second term
# C. C. Roberts (1950–1951); second term
# J.A. Blackwood (1951–1957)
# W. C. G. Knowles (1957–1964)
# H. J. C. Browne (1964–1973)
# Sir John Bremridge (1973–1980)
# Duncan Bluck (1981–1984)
# Michael Miles (1984–1988)
# David Gledhill (1988–1992)
# Peter Sutch (1992–1999)
# James Hughes-Hallett (1999–2004)
# David Turnbull (2005–2006)
# Christopher Pratt
John Christopher Pratt (December 9, 1935 – June 5, 2022) was one of Canada's most prominent painters and printmakers. (2006–2014)
# John Slosar (2014–2019)
List of former chief executives
''chief executive officers were referred to as Managing Directors before 1 July 1998.''
# Sydney de Kantzow (1946–1948)
#M. S. Cumming (1948–1950)[
# W. C. G. Knowles (1950–1957)
# H. J. C. Browne (1957–1958)]
#W. B. Rae-Smith (1958–1960)
# H. J. C. Browne (1960–1961); second term
# Sir John Bremridge (1961–1971)
# Duncan Bluck (1971–1978)
# Michael Miles (1979–1984)
# Peter Sutch (1984–1992)
# Sir Rod Eddington (1992–1996)
# David Turnbull (1996–2005)
# Philip Chen (2005–2007)
# Tony Tyler (2007–2011)
# John Slosar (2011–2014)
# Ivan Chu (2014–2017)
# Rupert Hogg (2017–2019)
# Augustus Tang (2019–2022)
Destinations
Cathay Pacific serves 83 destinations (including cargo), but not including codeshare in 46 countries and territories on five continents, with a well-developed Asian network. The airline serves many gateway cities in North America and Europe, with easy connections with its Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
and codeshare partners, American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
and British Airways
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...
via Los Angeles and London, respectively. Also, the airline serves ten French cities via a codeshare partnership with French national rail operator, SNCF
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
, from Paris.
On 5 December 2024, it was reported that Cathay Pacific will launch two direct flights to Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
and Brussels
Brussels, officially the Brussels-Capital Region, (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) is a Communities, regions and language areas of Belgium#Regions, region of Belgium comprising #Municipalit ...
, Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
in the summer of 2025. Subsequently, Cathay Pacific will be introducing a new route between Hong Kong and Dallas
Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...
/Fort Worth
Fort Worth is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat of Tarrant County, Texas, Tarrant County, covering nearly into Denton County, Texas, Denton, Johnson County, Texas, Johnson, Parker County, Texas, Parker, and Wise County, Te ...
, to commence in April 2025. The route will mark the airline's longest route (7,058 nautical miles) and will be operated four times weekly on its Airbus A350-1000.
Interline agreements
Cathay Pacific maintains interline agreements with the following airline partners:
* Hahn Air
Codeshare agreements
Cathay Pacific maintains codeshare agreements with the following airline partners:
* Air Astana
* Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and the largest airline of Canada, by size and passengers carried. Air Canada is headquartered in the borough of Saint-Laurent in the city of Montreal. The airline, founded in 1937, provides scheduled and cha ...
* Air China
Air China, officially Air China Limited, ( zh, s=中国国际航空公司, labels=no, ''Zhōngguó guójì hángkōng gōngsī'') is a major Chinese airline and the flag carrier of the People's Republic of China. It is headquartered in Shunyi ...
* Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand Limited () is the flag carrier of New Zealand. Based in Auckland, the airline operates scheduled passenger flights to 20 domestic and 28 international destinations in 18 countries, primarily within the Pacific Rim. The airline h ...
* Air Niugini
* Alaska Airlines
* American Airlines
American Airlines, Inc. is a major airlines of the United States, major airline in the United States headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, within the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and is the Largest airlines in the world, largest airline in the ...
* Austrian Airlines
* Bangkok Airways
Bangkok Airways plc () is a regional airline based in Bangkok, Thailand. It operates scheduled services to destinations in Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Maldives, and Singapore. Its main base is Suvarnabhumi Airport in the Thai cap ...
* British Airways
British Airways plc (BA) is the flag carrier of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in London, England, near its main Airline hub, hub at Heathrow Airport.
The airline is the second largest UK-based carrier, based on fleet size and pass ...
* Comair
* Fiji Airways
* Finnair
Finnair Plc (, ) is the flag carrier and largest full-service legacy airline of Finland, with headquarters in Vantaa on the grounds of Helsinki Airport, its airline hub, hub. Finnair and its subsidiaries dominate both domestic and international ...
* HK Express (Subsidiary)
* Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, compri ...
* Japan Airlines
Japan Airlines (JAL) is the flag carrier airline of Japan. JAL is headquartered in Shinagawa, Tokyo. Its main hubs are Tokyo's Narita International Airport, Narita and Haneda Airport, Haneda airports, as well as secondary hubs in Osaka's Kansai ...
* LATAM Chile
LATAM Airlines Chile, formerly known as LAN Chile and LAN Airlines, is a Chilean multinational corporation, multinational airline based in Santiago and one of the founding companies of the LATAM Airlines Group, the largest airline holding compa ...
* Lufthansa
Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), trading as the Lufthansa Group, is a German aviation group. Its major and founding subsidiary airline Lufthansa German Airlines, branded as Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. It ranks List of largest airlin ...
* Malaysia Airlines
Malaysia Airlines ( Malay: ''Penerbangan Malaysia'') is the flag carrier of Malaysia, headquartered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The airline flies to destinations across Europe, Oceania and Asia from its main hub at Kuala Lumpur Int ...
* MIAT Mongolian Airlines
* Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered at the Philippine National Bank, PNB Financial Center in Pasay, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the oldest operating commercial airline in Asia.
Philippine ...
* Qantas
Qantas ( ), formally Qantas Airways Limited, is the flag carrier of Australia, and the largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations in Australia and List of largest airlines in Oceania, Oceania. A foundi ...
* Qatar Airways
* S7 Airlines
* Shenzhen Airlines
* Swiss International Air Lines
* Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines () is the flag carrier of Vietnam. The airline was founded in 1956 and later established as a Government-owned corporation, state-owned enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Biên district, Hanoi ...
* WestJet
Cathay Pacific also have codeshare agreements with French high speed train company (SNCF
The Société nationale des chemins de fer français (, , SNCF ) is France's national State-owned enterprise, state-owned railway company. Founded in 1938, it operates the Rail transport in France, country's national rail traffic along with th ...
) for rides from Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport to 10 French cities. In addition, Cathay Pacific also have codeshare agreements with 2 local ferry operators ( Cotai Water Jet and Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd) to connect passengers from Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
to Macau
Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
, Zhuhai
Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...
, Shenzhen
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A Special economic zones of China, special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong ...
and Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ...
in the Greater Bay Area.
Fleet
Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of Airbus narrow-body
A narrow-body aircraft or single-aisle aircraft is an airliner arranged along a single aisle, permitting up to 6-abreast airline seat, seating in a aircraft cabin, cabin less than in width.
In contrast, a wide-body aircraft is a larger airliner ...
, and a mix of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft. Its cargo division, Cathay Cargo, also operates a fleet of Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
freighters. Their main fleet consists of Airbus A321neo
The Airbus A321neo is a Single-aisle aircraft, single-aisle airliner created by Airbus. The A321neo (''neo'' being an acronym for "new engine option") is developed from the Airbus A321 and Airbus A320neo family. It is the longest stretched fusela ...
, Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a wide-body airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
Airbus began developing larger A300 derivatives in the mid–1970s, giving rise to the A330 twinjet as well as the Airbus A340 quadjet, and launched both designs along ...
, Airbus A350
The Airbus A350 is a flight length, long-range, wide-body twin-engine airliner developed and produced by Airbus.
The initial A350 design proposed in 2004, in response to the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, would have been a development of the Airbu ...
and Boeing 777
The Boeing 777, commonly referred to as the Triple Seven, is an American long-range wide-body airliner developed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. The 777 is the world's largest twinjet and the most-built wide-body airliner. ...
aircraft, while their cargo division operates two models of the Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
: 747-400F and 747-8F.
Loyalty programs
Before August 2022, the airline had two separate loyalty programs: The frequent flyer program called Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles, the travel reward program. Members of Cathay are automatically enrolled as Asia Miles members.
In August 2022, the airline decided to merge both the Asia Miles and Marco Polo Club programs. Members of either program received a single membership for both.
The Cathay membership also abolished the Diamond Plus Tier which existed in the Marco Polo Club, making the Diamond Tier currently the highest tier in the Cathay membership level.
Membership levels
The program is divided into four tiers: Green (entry level), Silver, Gold, and Diamond. There is no joining fee.
Members earn Asia Miles and 'Status Points' on eligible fare classes with Cathay Pacific and Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
member airlines. These are used to calculate the member's eligibility for membership renewal, upgrade or downgrade during the membership year. Higher-tiered members are provided with increased travel benefits such as guaranteed Economy Class seat, additional baggage allowance, priority flight booking and airport lounge access.
Once members reach the required number of status points, they are granted the relevant tier for a year. At the end of the year, if the member does not hold enough status points to renew their tier, they will be downgraded.
Irrespective of tier, at the end of each membership year, the member's status points counter is reset to zero.
Green
The Green tier is the entry level to the program. Benefits include dedicated 24-hour club service line for flight reservations, extra baggage redemption and lounge access redemption. One Business Class lounge voucher will be issued for the member or their travelling companion at reaching 200 Status Points.
Silver
Silver tier is achieved or retained when the member earns 300 Status Points during the membership year. Additional benefits for Silver Card members include advanced seat reservations, priority wait-listing, Business Class check-in counters, priority baggage handling, and Business Class lounge access when flying Cathay Pacific operated flights. Additionally, members are eligible to use the Frequent Visitor e-Channels for seamless self-service immigration clearance at Hong Kong International Airport. At 450 Status Points, members will be issued two Business Class lounge vouchers for their travelling companions. Also, members are entitled to apply for at most three Membership Holidays in their lifetime, retaining their status for one year for each application.
Cathay Silver tier status is equivalent to Oneworld Ruby tier status, which entitles members to Oneworld Ruby benefits when travelling on a Oneworld member airline.
Gold
Gold tier is achieved or retained when the member earns 600 Status Points during the membership year. Additional benefits for Gold Card members include a guaranteed Economy Class seat on Cathay Pacific flights booked 72 hours before departure, or one piece of extra baggage allowance, Business Class lounge access with one accompanying guest when flying Cathay Pacific and Oneworld-operated flights and arrival lounge access when flying Cathay Pacific-operated and marketed flights. Two Business Class lounge vouchers will be issued for their travelling companions or members on their Asia Miles Redemption List at reaching 800 Status Points. At reaching 1000 Status Points, four Cabin Upgrade vouchers (for Cathay Pacific-operated short-haul or medium-haul routes) will be issued to members and their travelling companions.
Cathay Gold tier status is equivalent to Oneworld Sapphire tier status, which entitles members to Oneworld Sapphire benefits when travelling on a Oneworld member airline.
Diamond
The highest tier, Diamond is achieved or retained when the member earns 1200 Status Points during the membership year. Additional benefits for Diamond Card members include top priority waitlisting, guaranteed Economy Class or Business Class seat on Cathay Pacific flights booked 24 hours before departure, First Class check-in counters, or one piece of extra baggage allowance, First Priority baggage handling, First Class lounge access with two guests when flying Cathay Pacific-operated flights, one guest when flying Oneworld operated flights and Business Class lounge access with two guests when flying on any airline. At 1400 Status Points, members will be issued with two First or Business lounge vouchers for their travelling companions or members on their Asia Miles Redemption List. At 1600 Status Points, four Cabin Upgrade vouchers (for any Cathay Pacific-operated routes) will be issued to members, travelling companions and members on their Asia Miles Redemption List. At 1800 Status Points, members can nominate one member for Cathay Gold tier membership.
Cathay Diamond tier status is equivalent to Oneworld Emerald tier status, which entitles members to Oneworld Emerald benefits when travelling on a Oneworld member airline.
Asia Miles
Asia Miles is the loyalty currency that is earned when spending through the program via Asia Miles partners. It can also be earned through flying Cathay Pacific and its Oneworld
Oneworld (Computer reservations system, CRS: *O, stylised as oneworld) is a global airline alliance consisting of 14 member airlines. It was founded on 1 February 1999. The alliance's stated objective is to be the first choice airline alliance f ...
partners. One Asia Miles are equal to one HKD.
Services
Ground handling
Beginning in 2007, Cathay Pacific launched more methods to check in for flights. Among them were self-check-in using a kiosk at Hong Kong International Airport and other select destinations and checking in via a mobile phone. Cathay Pacific also launched a mobile application on App Store
An app store, also called an app marketplace or app catalog, is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not i ...
and Google Play
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store, Play Store, or sometimes the Android Store (and was formerly Android Market), is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certifie ...
, formerly named CX Mobile. Passengers can use the application to check flight arrivals and departures, check in for their flights and read about the destinations they are flying to using City Guides. The app has become a hit with passengers, making Cathay Pacific one of the industry leaders in offering mobile services to users of smartphones.
Cathay Pacific is also now following a trend among many airlines to improve its brand image to customers and shareholders with social media, and is ranked fourth worldwide. The airline now uses a range of social media tools including Facebook, Flickr
Flickr ( ) is an image hosting service, image and Online video platform, video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was previously a co ...
, Twitter, Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
, YouTube and blogging
A blog (a Clipping (morphology), truncation of "weblog") is an informational website consisting of discrete, often informal diary-style text entries also known as posts. Posts are typically displayed in Reverse chronology, reverse chronologic ...
to share ideas with customers. In addition, it has launched a virtual tour to enable passengers to experience Cathay Pacific's new cabins and services without having to step aboard the aircraft.
On 4 January 2011, the cargo division of the airline, Cathay Pacific Cargo, became the first airline operating out of Hong Kong to fully switch to e- air waybill. This eliminates the need for all paper documents when issuing air waybills. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) selected nine countries and territories and airlines in which to run the e-AWB pilot program, including Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific.
Cabin
First Class
First Class is offered only on select Boeing 777-300ERs and features 6 seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. The first class seats can be converted into fully lie-flat beds measuring . The seats include a massage function, a personal closet, an ottoman for stowage or guest seating, and adjustable , HD personal televisions (PTV). First class passengers are welcome to use Oneworld or Cathay Pacific first class lounges at their departure airport.
Business Class
Business Class is offered on all internationally configured aircraft. It is available on all Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as select Airbus A330-300s. Cathay Pacific introduced a new business class seat in 2011, featuring reverse herringbone seating in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed of length , with a width of up to . Each seat features a small, enclosed side cabinet, and an adjustable personal television. In 2016, upon delivery of brand new Airbus A350s, Cathay Pacific introduced a refreshed reverse herringbone seat designed by Porsche Design, with HD personal televisions and additional enclosed storage space on the side. In 2023, Cathay Pacific announced their “Aria Suite”. Cathay Pacific has been installing the Aria Suite on their Boeing 777-300ERs since 2024.
Regional Business Class
Business Class is offered on all regionally configured aircraft. It is available on all Airbus A320s, Airbus A321s, Airbus A321neos, and Boeing 777-300s, as well as selected Airbus A330-300s. Seats have width and recline to of pitch and feature electrical recline and leg rest. A PTV is located in the seat back offers AVOD. In 2021, the airline has updated the cabin with a new seat on the Airbus A321neo
The Airbus A321neo is a Single-aisle aircraft, single-aisle airliner created by Airbus. The A321neo (''neo'' being an acronym for "new engine option") is developed from the Airbus A321 and Airbus A320neo family. It is the longest stretched fusela ...
, featuring a new design with hard-shell recliner seats that incorporate divider screens and a 15.6-inch PTV.
All Business Class passengers are allowed to use Oneworld or Cathay Pacific business class lounges prior to departure.
Premium Economy
Premium Economy is offered on all Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as selected Airbus A330-300s. Cathay Pacific introduced a premium economy class in March 2012. The seat pitch is 38 inches – six inches more than Economy Class – and the seat itself is wider and have a bigger recline. It has a large meal table, cocktail table, footrest, a 10.6-inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, a multi-port connector for personal devices, and extra personal storage space. The Premium Economy Class seat offers a higher level of comfort with more living space in a separate cabin before the Economy Class zone.
In 2016, on delivery of the Airbus A350-900 fleet, Cathay Pacific introduced a new Premium Economy seat, which features a HD PTV, and improved pitch of . The new seats are configured in a 2-4-2 configuration, with a width of .
Economy Class
Cathay Pacific currently has five types of Economy Class, different on each aircraft. From the oldest 2007 type to the newest 2021 type, each has its own unique features.
= 2007 Economy Class (ex. 330, 340, 747, 777)
=
The phased-out old Economy Class seats, previously offered on aircraft outfitted with the refurbished long-haul interiors, were designed by B/E Aerospace and introduced in July 2008. These seats include a fixed back design (shell) that allows passengers to recline without intruding on those seated behind, a PTV providing AVOD, AC power located behind a larger tray table, a coat hook and a literature pocket that has been relocated to below the seat cushion to create more legroom. The fixed shell of these seats has been criticised. The previous Economy Class seats each feature PTVs with a choice of 25 channels. These seats are in width and have of pitch. These seats were replaced with an updated Economy Class seat on aircraft receiving the Cathay Pacific's updated long-haul interior configuration. This is no longer available as it is replaced by the new 2012 Economy Class.
=2012 Economy Class (333, ex. 777)
=
Cathay Pacific updated its economy class seats in March 2012, replacing the older fixed back design. They have a six-inch recline (two inches over the current long-haul economy seat). These seats are in width and have of pitch.
=2016 Economy Class (359)
=
Cathay Pacific released their new economy class on the A350-900, featuring dark green seats with a 11.1 inch touch screen, USB ports and a tablet tray. Also, seats have access to 110-volt AC power. With the new economy class design, new in-flight entertainment was also provided. The headrest size has been enlarged.
=2017 Economy Class (777)
=
Since 2017, all Boeing 777s were retrofitted with the popular long-haul economy product Recaro CL3710 seat. In addition, the fleet featured a change in configuration from 9 abreast to 10 abreast. This increased the economy class seats on board the −300 series from 356 to 396 seats & the −300ER from 182/268 seats to 201/296 seats. All new seats feature new 11.6-inch touch screens, USB ports, & improved seat pitch. The seat width is .
=2018 Economy Class (35K)
=
The A350-1000 Economy Class utilizes a highly customized version of the HAECO Vector Y+ seat. A separate drink holder and a bottle pouch are added. The screens are matted and feature a privacy layer, ensuring neighboring seats may not easily view each other's content for added privacy. The seat is double padded, making it thicker than any other Economy Class in the fleet (Other than the A321neo, which utilizes the same seat). The faux leather headrest is also bigger.
=2021 Economy Class (321neo)
=
The 2021 Economy Class is identical to 2018 Economy Class, featuring the HAECO Vector Y+ design except a few upgrades, such as a 4K resolution
4K resolution refers to a horizontal display resolution of approximately 4,000 pixels. Digital television and digital cinematography commonly use several different 4K resolutions. In television and consumer media, 38402160 (4K UHD) with a 16:9 asp ...
in-flight entertainment
In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to entertainment and other value-added services available to aircraft passengers during a flight. Frequently managed by content service providers, the types of in-flight entertainment and their content vary s ...
system, which had its privacy screen removed after user feedback regarding inaccessibility. In addition, a smaller LCD screen is added below the main screen for additional information such as flight time, and destination time. These aircraft were originally designated for Cathay Dragon, which had its brand dissolved prior to taking delivery of these A321neos, which is why Cathay's A321neo economy class features a distinct Cordova red color scheme in contrast with the rest of the Cathay fleet, which all feature bottle green seating.
Catering
Food and beverages are complimentary on all flights, with two hot meals generally served on each flight for long haul flights, along with free alcoholic beverages. Foods served on flights from Hong Kong are provided by Cathay Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) facilities in Hong Kong. CLS Catering Services Limited, a joint venture with LSG Sky Chefs, provides inflight catering from Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
and Vancouver
Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...
airports; while Vietnam Air Caterers, a joint venture between CPCS and Vietnam Airlines
Vietnam Airlines () is the flag carrier of Vietnam. The airline was founded in 1956 and later established as a Government-owned corporation, state-owned enterprise in April 1989. Vietnam Airlines is headquartered in Long Biên district, Hanoi ...
, provides the same for flights from Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
. Meals on Manila–Hong Kong flights are typically served in snack bags as complimentary snacks and drinks.
In-flight entertainment
StudioCX (2012)
The first type is the StudioCX system that was launched in 2012. Now, it can only be found in unrefurbished A330s. The old system features movies, TV, music, inflight map and some games. The system is identical to Cathay Dragon's Entertainment (StudioKA).
StudioCX (2016)
In 2016, following the new A350-900, Cathay Pacific launched the new entertainment system. Even though on the website, it still says it's StudioCX, but on the system, they seem to give up on the old name "StudioCX". The new system features a brand new, modern and lighter design. There are lots of new content from the old system, following a new moving map (rather than the stuck map from the StudioCX system), live TV, reading materials, magazines, news, shopping, Sports24 (only on A350) and more movies. Resolution is 4K on A321s. In 2017, the introduction for the StudioCX is updated.
StudioCX, Cathay Pacific's in-flight entertainment
In-flight entertainment (IFE) refers to entertainment and other value-added services available to aircraft passengers during a flight. Frequently managed by content service providers, the types of in-flight entertainment and their content vary s ...
system, equipped with personal televisions in every seat, offers movies, Asian and Western TV programs, music and games. The airline also provides a range of different newspapers and magazines from around the world, including the airline's in-flight magazine ''Discovery'' (now ''Cathay''). Passengers with visual impairment
Visual or vision impairment (VI or VIP) is the partial or total inability of visual perception. In the absence of treatment such as corrective eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment, visual impairment may cause the individual difficul ...
can request for Hong Kong's ''South China Morning Post
The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
'' in Braille
Braille ( , ) is a Tactile alphabet, tactile writing system used by blindness, blind or visually impaired people. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille displays that connect to computers and smartphone device ...
to be available on board.
StudioCX provides Audio/Video on Demand ( AVOD) for every passenger and offers up to 100 movies, 350 TV programs, about 1000 CD albums in 25 different genres, 25 radio channels and more than 70 interactive games.[ The "New Regional Product" includes StudioCX.]
Award and recognition
On 24 June 2024, Cathay Pacific was voted ''2024 World's'' ''Best Economy Class'' by Skytrax.
Accidents and incidents
Cathay Pacific has had some incidents and accidents over its history, although none have resulted in a hull loss
A hull loss is an aviation accident that damages the aircraft beyond economic repair, resulting in a total loss. The term also applies to situations where the aircraft is missing, the search for its wreckage is terminated, or the wreckage is ...
or loss of life since 1972. Cathay Pacific is generally regarded to have a good safety reputation and has been rated as one of the world's safest airlines.
* On 16 July 1948, '' Miss Macao'', a Cathay Pacific-subsidiary-operated Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina from Macau
Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
to Hong Kong was hijacked by four men, who killed the pilot after take-off. The aircraft crashed in the Pearl River Delta
The Pearl River Delta Metropolitan Region is the low-lying area surrounding the Pearl River estuary, where the Pearl River flows into the South China Sea. Referred to as the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area in official documents, ...
near Zhuhai
Zhuhai; Yale romanization of Cantonese, Yale: ''Jyūhói''; Chinese postal romanization, also known as Chuhai is a prefecture-level city located on the west bank of the Pearl River (China), Pearl River estuary on the central coast of southern ...
. Twenty-six people died, leaving only one survivor, a hijacker. This was the first hijacking of a commercial airliner
An airliner is a type of airplane for transporting passengers and air cargo. Such aircraft are most often operated by airlines. The modern and most common variant of the airliner is a long, tube shaped, and jet powered aircraft. The largest ...
in the world.
* On 24 February 1949, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-47 Skytrain
The Douglas C-47 Skytrain or Dakota ( RAF designation) is a military transport aircraft developed from the civilian Douglas DC-3 airliner. It was used extensively by the Allies during World War II. During the war the C-47 was used for tro ...
from Manila
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the Capital of the Philippines, capital and second-most populous city of the Philippines after Quezon City, with a population of 1,846,513 people in 2020. Located on the eastern shore of Manila Bay on ...
to Hong Kong crashed near Braemar Reservoir after a go-around in poor weather. All 23 people on board died.
* On 13 September 1949, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-47 Skytrain departing from Anisakan, Burma crashed on take-off when the right-hand main gear leg collapsed. There were no reported fatalities.
* On 23 July 1954, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-54 Skymaster
The Douglas C-54 Skymaster is a four-engined transport aircraft used by the United States Army Air Forces in World War II and the Korean War. Like the Douglas C-47 Skytrain derived from the DC-3, the C-54 Skymaster was derived from a civilia ...
from Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estim ...
to Hong Kong was shot down by aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force
The People's Liberation Army Air Force, also referred to as the Chinese Air Force () or the People's Air Force (), is the primary aerial warfare service of the People's Liberation Army. The PLAAF controls most of the PLA's air assets, includi ...
in the South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean. It is bounded in the north by South China, in the west by the Indochinese Peninsula, in the east by the islands of Taiwan island, Taiwan and northwestern Philippines (mainly Luz ...
near Hainan Island. Ten people died, leaving nine survivors. After the incident, Cathay Pacific received an apology and compensation from the People's Liberation Army Air Force. It was apparently mistaken for a Nationalist Chinese military aircraft.
* On 5 November 1967, Cathay Pacific Flight 033, operated by a Convair 880
The Convair 880 is a retired American Narrow-body aircraft, narrow-body jet airliner produced by the Convair division of General Dynamics. It was designed to compete with the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 by being smaller but faster, a niche that f ...
from Hong Kong to Saigon
Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) ('','' TP.HCM; ), commonly known as Saigon (; ), is the most populous city in Vietnam with a population of around 14 million in 2025.
The city's geography is defined by rivers and canals, of which the largest is Saigo ...
, overran the runway at Kai Tak Airport. One person was killed and the aircraft was written off.
* On 15 June 1972, Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operated by a Convair 880 from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at over Pleiku, Vietnam after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board. This remains the last Cathay Pacific incident to involve a total hull loss and passenger fatalities.
* On 13 April 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780, operated by an Airbus A330-342 from Surabaya
Surabaya is the capital city of East Java Provinces of Indonesia, province and the List of Indonesian cities by population, second-largest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta. Located on the northeastern corner of Java island, on the Madura Strai ...
Juanda International Airport to Hong Kong, landed safely after both engines failed due to contaminated fuel. 57 passengers were injured in the ensuing slide evacuation. Its two pilots received the Polaris Award from the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations for their heroism and airmanship.
*On 2 September 2024, Cathay Pacific Flight 383, operated by an Airbus A350-1041 from Hong Kong International Airport to Zurich Airport
Zurich Airport is the largest international airport of Switzerland and the airline hub, principal hub of Swiss International Air Lines. It serves Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland, and, with its surface transport links, much of the rest o ...
, experienced a serious incident after a leak in fuel system of the left engine, which caused an engine fire after departing Hong Kong. The plane circled over the sea for more than half an hour to dump fuel before landing safely back in Hong Kong. There were no casualties among the 348 people on board. Following the incident, the airline conducted engine inspections of its A350 fleet and identified fifteen A350s in its fleet with affected engine components. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service.
See also
* List of airlines of Hong Kong
* List of airports in Hong Kong
* List of companies of Hong Kong
* Macau Air Transport Company – subsidiary from 1948 to 1961
* Transport in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has a Developed country, highly developed transport network, encompassing both public transport, public and private transport. Based on Hong Kong Government's Travel Characteristics Survey, over 90% of daily journeys are on public t ...
Notes
References
External links
*
Cathay Cargo
{{authority control
Airlines established in 1946
Airlines of Hong Kong
Association of Asia Pacific Airlines
Companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
Swire Group
Hong Kong brands
1946 establishments in Hong Kong
Former seaplane operators
Former companies in the Hang Seng Index
Chinese brands