Cathay Pacific had spent decades developing a seamless transit operation out of its Hong Kong International Airport hub until the pandemic rocked activity in 2020. While several key aviation regions began their regrowth processes in late 2021 and early 2022, Hong Kong’s stringent restrictions only started to make way late last year.
Moreover, it was the turn of 2023 when mainland China started to drop its strict travel requirements. Thus, Cathay is still in the earlier stages of its recovery.
A word from the airline
Still, the oneworld carrier has doubled its activity in just five months. In November, we reported that Cathay had only recovered 21% of its pre-pandemic passenger activity. Despite being just a fifth of normal service, the figure was a 424.5% rise vs. the same period in 2021.
Now, Paul Johannes, regional head of customer travel and lifestyle, Europe, Cathay Pacific, has shared with Simple Flying that his company will be operating approximately 50% of pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels covering more than 70 destinations by the end of March. Yet, the airline is determined to continue expanding.
Johannes explained:
“The airline continues to add more destinations to its schedule. We anticipate that we will be operating around 70% of our pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity by the end of 2023 covering more than 80 destinations, with an aim to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024. As more flights resume, the airline is progressively reopening its lounges for customers across the network giving customers more ways to relax before a flight.”
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Regional prospects
Cathay Pacific is working actively to increase capacity and connect the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong with the rest of the world. It is determined to resume and add more flights to more than 110 return flights per week to 15 Chinese mainland cities by the end of March, including services to Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shanghai, and Wenzhou.
The airline is also exploring opportunities for growth and investment in the Greater Bay Area, China, including opening a new lounge at Shenzhen Shekou Cruise Home Port – the world’s first airline lounge set in a ferry port. Codeshare partnerships with bus operators to cover journeys between Zhuhai/Macau and Hong Kong International Airport are also in the works.
To help stimulate the market across the network, Cathay supported a campaign launched by the Hong Kong Airport Authority to give away half a million free tickets. Given the number of tickets and the high demand already seen, they are being released to segments in stages, starting in Southeast Asia before Europe is added potentially later in the year.
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Throughout the operation
It’s not just the flights that are returning. Cathay has been busy reopening several of its lounges. Additionally, it is introducing new products and services, such as the recent Hong Kong Flavours menu designed with Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant Duddell’s.
Thus, Cathay is balancing its recovery with customer service initiatives to ensure it upholds its reputation as a full-service powerhouse. A complete return won’t be until next year, but the trajectory is on the right track during this crucial stage.
What are your thoughts about Cathay Pacific’s recovery so far? Also, what do you make of the overall prospects for the airline in this next chapter? Let us know what you think in the comment section.