Cathay plans to double flights to China as COVID restrictions are removed

Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said the government’s latest measures to facilitate quarantine-free travel between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland will result in the airline doubling the number of flights to the Mainland. Cathay Pacific said it will operate 61 return flights per week between Hong Kong and 13 Mainland cities from 14 January 2023. This compares to the 27 flights per week from Hong Kong to the Mainland, and 50 flights per week from the Mainland to Hong Kong that the airline is currently operating. Cathay Pacific said it is working actively to resume and add more flights progressively between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in the coming weeks, with the aim of operating over 100 return flights per week by March 2023. From 8 January 2023, Cathay Pacific will increase its flights between Hong Kong and Beijing to 10 pairs per week, and between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Pudong) to 21 pairs per week. The airline is also resuming flights to Guangzhou with five return flights per week. Meanwhile, from 14 January 2023 the airline will increase its flights between Hong Kong and Xiamen to four pairs per week, and between Hong Kong and Chengdu to six pairs per week. As of today, Cathay Pacific operates flights serving close to 60 destinations worldwide. The airline continues to add more destinations to its schedule. The airline said it anticipates operating around 70 percent of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023, with an aim to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]