Cathay Pacific announced it has added Dallas to its international network, which marks the sixth new passenger destination launched so far this year by the Cathay Group. The group includes Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier HK Express, with a total of 15 new destinations already announced for 2025, and more to come. This new route heralds an exciting chapter in the expansion of Cathay Pacific’s North America network, further enhancing the global connectivity of its home hub, Hong Kong, while providing greater choice and convenience for customers.
To mark this significant occasion, Cathay Director Customer Travel Erica Peng and Airport Authority Hong Kong Executive Director, Airport Operations Steven Yiu Siu-chung gathered to celebrate the new service’s launch at Hong Kong International Airport.
Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “The launch of our direct passenger flights between Hong Kong and Dallas for the very first time demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with convenient access to the most exciting destinations around the world from our Hong Kong hub. As a Group, we are continuing to add more ports to our passenger network, which will exceed 100 destinations within the first half of this year.
“With our Cathay Pacific codeshares and other flight options, customers can connect to domestic destinations in the United States as well as destinations in Central and South America via Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. We also look forward to welcoming customers from the dynamic city of Dallas and the wider Americas onboard our flights, as they travel to Hong Kong or connect to the many onward destinations available through our extensive global network.”
Cathay says March traffic was ‘quiet’
The Cathay Group released its traffic figures for March 2025 with Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau saying “While March marked a quieter month for our travel business, our cargo business saw strong growth momentum as we entered the first traditional cargo peak of the year. However, the latest developments on trade tariffs are creating uncertainties that may cause disruptions to our cargo business, changes in travel demand, increased costs and pressure on supply chains, among other impacts. We are taking proactive steps to put ourselves in the best possible position in facing and mitigating these external forces as we remain aligned, agile and responsive in our approach.”
Cathay Pacific carried 19.8% more passengers in March 2025 compared with March 2024, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 25.5%. In the first three months of 2025, the number of passengers carried increased by 23.4% compared with the same period for 2024.
Lau said: “While we saw softer demand for leisure travel in March due to the absence of long-weekend holidays in Hong Kong, demand for our premium cabins remained robust, driven by various mega-events and exhibitions in the city such as the Hong Kong International Jewellery Show and Art Basel Hong Kong. The Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens also generated strong inbound demand to our home city, especially on many of our long-haul routes. To commemorate the Sevens’ debut at the brand-new Kai Tak Sports Park and the 100th anniversary of Kai Tak Airport, which had been Cathay Pacific’s home for many decades, we were proud to stage a special flypast on the last day of the Sevens to mark our return to Kai Tak. Media Information Turning to April and beyond, there has been healthy demand over the Easter holiday. In addition, we are delighted to have recently announced that Cathay Pacific will be one of the very few airlines to offer both 100% seatback inflight entertainment and 100% high-speed inflight Wi-Fi connectivity across its fleet from August 2025.”
Cathay Cargo carried 10.6% more cargo in March 2025 than in March 2024. Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 8.5% while load factor decreased by 1.2 percentage points year on year. In the first three months of 2025, the total tonnage increased by 12% compared with the same period for 2024.
Lau said: “Specialist solutions continue to be our area of focus. We saw notable growth in Cathay Priority during the quarter end and are pleased to have launched our refreshed Cathay Fresh solution to provide a high-quality, dependable and consistent service for transporting perishables. Furthermore, we have recently achieved an industry first with our new intermodal cold-chain route via the Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macao Bridge, delivering chilled seafood from Southeast Asia into the Greater Bay Area through our Hong Kong hub. We expect a softening of general air cargo demand between the Chinese Mainland and the United States due to the ongoing tariff situation and de minimis rule changes from early May. However, our network strength and flexibility in redeploying our freighters will allow us to adapt and redirect our focus to emerging opportunities. We will stay close to the market and monitor the developments vigilantly.”
HK Express carried more than 610,000 passengers in March, marking an increase of 25.4% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) grew by 35.6%. In the first three months of 2025, the number of passengers carried increased by 34.3% compared with the same period for 2024. Lau said: “HK Express maintained its growth momentum in March, announcing more new destinations and adding flight capacity. Looking ahead at April onwards, we have seen solid demand over the Easter holiday amid a slower pickup for pre-summer and peak summer bookings with more customers booking closer to their departure dates.”
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