Cathay says February traffic was robust

The Cathay Group released its traffic figures for February 2026 showing Cathay Pacific carried 24% more passengers in February 2026 compared with February 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 16%. In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 17% compared with the same period for 2025. Lavinia Lau Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “The first two months of 2026 have got off to an encouraging start with the solid momentum seen in January continuing into February, driven by the Lunar New Year travel peak. In addition to setting a new single-day passenger record by carrying around 128,000 passengers as a Group on 14 February, our passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express together carried more than 3.2 million passengers during the month, up 24% from the same period last year. Turning to March, the global geopolitical environment is volatile and this is causing unexpected shifts in passenger and cargo traffic flows as well as a significant increase in the price of jet fuel. In view of the current situation in the Middle East, we have temporarily suspended Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights as well as Cathay Cargo’s freighter services to Dubai and Riyadh up to and including 30 April 2026. As customers prioritise alternative travel routes due to airspace closures in the Middle East, we have added extra flights to London and provided additional capacity to Zurich in March to cater for a surge in demand for Europe. We are monitoring the situation closely and will remain agile in our response.” Lau said Cathay saw particularly strong outbound travel demand from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area during the Lunar New Year with short-haul destinations being the most popular. Meanwhile, inbound traffic to Hong Kong also recorded healthy growth, supported by demand from long-haul markets and the Chinese Mainland. Business travel rebounded quickly towards the end of the month, resulting in robust load factors in our premium cabins. “Looking ahead, bookings remain robust for the rest of March, driven by leisure travel across Asia,” Lau said. “We also look forward to launching our new five-times-weekly Seattle service on 30 March, further strengthening the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub.” (PHOTO: Cathay) Cathay Cargo carried 7% more cargo in February 2026 than in February 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 4%. ​ In the first two months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 6% compared with the same period for 2025. Cargo tonnage in February declined against the previous month due to the Lunar New Year holidays. “We saw a pre-holiday rush across our home market and the wider Greater Bay Area, followed by softer demand later in the month,” Lau said. “Meanwhile, demand for our Cathay Secure solution remained resilient, particularly from Europe and the Americas to Asia, while our Cathay Live Animal solution saw notable growth, supported by increased live lobster shipments from Oceania to Hong Kong. Turning to March, overall air cargo demand is expected to improve as we ramp up our scheduled freighter frequencies in preparation for the quarter end.” HK Express carried more than 730,000 passengers in February 2026, an increase of 25% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) grew by 14%. ​ In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 16% compared with the same period for 2025. Lau said: “Buoyed by the Lunar New Year traffic, HK Express achieved a load factor of 86% in February, with South Korea routes being the most popular. We also saw a significant increase in demand to Malaysia and the Chinese Mainland, which outpaced capacity growth. Looking ahead, bookings remain healthy in March, with demand outpacing capacity increase compared with last year.” For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Sally Passey at [email protected]