Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Quốc thái hàng không

IATA ICAO Callsign CX CPA CATHAY
Founded	24 September 1946(1946-09-24)
AOC #	1
Hubs	Hong Kong International Airport
Focus cities	Taoyuan International Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Cathay
Alliance	Oneworld
Subsidiaries	Air Hong Kong HK Express
Fleet size	178(incl cargo)
Destinations	83(incl cargo)
Traded as	SEHK:293
Headquarters	Cathay City,Hong Kong International Airport,Chek Lap Kok,Hong Kong
Key people	Patrick Healy (Chairman) Ronald Lam (CEO)
Founders	Sydney de Kantzow Roy Farrell
Revenue	HK$94.485billion(2023)
Operating income	HK$15.125 billion (2023)
Profit	HK$9.790 billion (2023)
Total equity	HK$60.033 billion (2023)
Employees	More than 23,800 (2023)
Website	www.cathaypacific

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited
Traditional Chinese	Quốc thái hàng không công ty
Simplified Chinese	Quốc thái hàng không công ty
CantoneseYale	Gwoktaai Hòhnghūng Gūngsī
Jyutping	Gwok3taai3 Hong4hung1 6gung1si1
Literal meaning	Cathay Aviation Limited Company
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guótài Hángkōng gōngsī Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gwoktaai Hòhnghūng Gūngsī Jyutping Gwok3taai3 Hong4hung1 6gung1si1
Cathay Pacific Airlines
Traditional Chinese	Quốc thái hàng không
Simplified Chinese	Quốc thái hàng không
CantoneseYale	Gwoktaai Hòhnghūng
Jyutping	Gwok3taai3 Hong4hung1
Literal meaning	Cathay Aviation
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guótài Hángkōng Hakka Romanization Get5(orgok5)tai4Hong2kung1 Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gwoktaai Hòhnghūng Jyutping Gwok3taai3 Hong4hung1
Brand name in Chinese
Traditional Chinese	Quốc thái
Simplified Chinese	Quốc thái
CantoneseYale	Gwoktaai
Jyutping	Gwok3taai3
Literal meaning	country (being) prosperous /Cathay
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Guótài Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Gwoktaai Jyutping Gwok3taai3

Cathay Pacificis theflag carrierofHong Kongwith itshead officeand mainhublocated atHong Kong International Airport.The airline's operations and its subsidiaries have scheduled passenger and cargo services to over 190destinations and more than 60 countries worldwide includingcodesharesand joint ventures.

Cathay Pacific operates a fleet consisting ofAirbus A321neo,Airbus A330,Airbus A350,andBoeing 777aircraft.Cathay Cargo operates two models ofBoeing 747.Defunct wholly-owned subsidiary airlineCathay 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 over 1.8 million tons of cargo and mail.

Cathay Pacific was founded on 24 September 1946 by AustralianSydney H. de Kantzowand AmericanRoy C. Farrell.The airline celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016. As of March 2024, its major shareholders areSwire Pacificwith a 45% stake,Air Chinawith 30% andQatar Airwayswith 9.9%.

Cathay Pacific is one of the founding members ofOneworld.The airline is ranked as a 5-star airline and has been ranked as the world's best airline four times bySkytrax.In 2018, it was the 19th-largest airline group in the world ranked by traffic.As of 2023, it is ranked as one of the eight best airlines in the world.

History

1946–1960: The early years

A Douglas DC-3 namedBetsy,Cathay Pacific's first aircraft, in theHong Kong Science Museum

Niki,a DC-3 painted to imitate the appearance of the carrier's second aircraft, outside Cathay City

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 flownThe Hump,a route over theHimalayanmountains.Farrell purchased the airline's first aircraft, aDouglas DC-3,nicknamedBetsy,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 fromRepublic of Chinagovernment 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 1946and chartered some flights from Cathay.(According toInternational Directory of Company Histories,two companies were formed for tax purposes.)

They named the airlineCathay,the ancient name given toChina,andPacificbecause Farrell speculated that they would one day fly across thePacific(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 ( "Quốc thái") was not settled on until the 1950s.It comes from aChinese idiommeaning "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 theManila Hotel,while another narrative was the name was taken in theCathay HotelinShanghai 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 viaManila.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 twoVickersCatalinaseaplanes to its fleet.

In 1948, a newlegal personof Cathay Pacific Airways was incorporated,with John Swire & Sons (now known asSwire Group),China Navigation Company,Australian National Airwaysbeing 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.As of 31 December 2017,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 ashareholders' agreementwith the second largest shareholder,Air China(whichwascontrolled by state-ownedChina 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, theJardine Matheson-ownedHong 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 theKorean War,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

A Cathay PacificConvair 880,operating from 1964 until 1974.

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 toFukuoka,NagoyaandOsakain Japan.In 1964, it carried its one millionth passengerand acquired its first jet engine aircraft, theConvair 880.In 1967, it became an all jet airline with the replacement of its lastLockheed L-188 Electrawith a Convair 880.

ALockheed L-1011 TriStaratOsaka International Airportin 1972–1994 livery with the BritishUnion Flagand the logo of parent companySwire.

In the 1970s, Cathay Pacific installed a computerised reservation system and flight simulators.In 1971, Cathay Pacific Airways received the first Boeing aircraft707-320B.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 theMcDonnell Douglas DC-10to open a new flight route. During the flight route application process with theBritish government,due to the pressure from the British government, Cathay Pacific changed the application to apply for a route from Hong Kong toLondonusing aBoeing 747.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 withLufthansa.Cathay Pacific kept its service toVancouverin 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,Frankfurt,Amsterdam,Rome, Paris,ZurichandManchester.

On 15 May 1986, the airline went public and was listed in the Main Board ofthe 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 inDragonair,and a 75% stake in cargo airlineAir Hong Kongin 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 Pacificincreased 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 theInternational 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 thehandover of Hong Kongfrom the United Kingdom to China. On 21 May 1998, Cathay Pacific took the first delivery of theBoeing 777-300at a ceremony inEverett.On 21 September 1998, Cathay Pacific, together withAmerican Airlines,British Airways,Canadian Airlines,andQantas,co-foundedOneworldairline alliance.Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the domestic and international operations ofPhilippine Airlinesduring its two-week shutdown from 26 September to 7 October 1998.The airline was hurt by theAsian financial crisisof the late 1990s, but recorded a recordHK$5 billion profit in 2000.

Transfer to Chek Lap Kok and transpolar flights

On 5 July 1998, Cathay Pacific operated its last flight fromKai Tak International AirporttoLondon Heathrow Airport,with the former airport ceasing operations after over 73 years of operation. The next day, Cathay Pacific began flights fromNew York John F. Kennedy International Airportto the newHong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport.This flight was also the world's firstnonstoptranspolarflight from New York to Hong Kong.

2000–2010: Industrial troubles and acquisitions

Cathay Pacific operated three Airbus A340-600s from 2002 to 2009.

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.

A Cathay PacificAirbus A330-300atTaiwan Taoyuan International Airport.

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, judgesFrank Stock,Susan KwanandJohnson Lamof theCourt of Appealoverturned 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 titledThe 49ers – The True Storyon 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 judgedto 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 [an] appropriate 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

A Dragonair Airbus A330-300.

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 Pacificreduced its shareholding to 17.5 percent andSwire Groupreduced its shareholding to 40 percent.

Dragonair had originally planned significant international expansion. It was already operating services toBangkokand Tokyo, and was to have a dedicated cargo fleet of nineBoeing 747-400BCF aircraft by 2009 operating to New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco andColumbus.It had also acquired threeAirbus A330-300aircraft to commence services to Sydney andSeoul.

A Cathay Dragon Airbus A330-300.

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 asCathay 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 theCOVID-19 pandemic.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

A Cathay PacificBoeing 777-300ERarrives atLondon Heathrow Airport.

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 andin-flight mealsserved by restaurants in Hong Kong in collaboration with the celebrations.

In June 2008, Cathay Pacific entered into aplea bargainwith theUnited States Department of Justicein respect of antitrust investigations over air cargo price-fi xing agreements. It was fined US$60 million. The airline has subsequently set up an internal Competition Compliance Office, reporting to chief operating officerJohn 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.

A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747–400 atSingapore Changi Airport.

In March 2009, the airline reported a record full-year loss ofHK$8.56 billion for 2008, which was also the carrier's first since the1997 Asian Financial Crisis.The record loss includedfuel-hedginglosses of HK$7.6 billion and a HK$468 million charge for a price-fi xing 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 ineconomyto make up for the lost revenue of one fewerfirst classpassenger flying to New York from Hong Kong.

2010–2020: Scandals and stagnancy

Cathay Pacific andCathay Dragonaircraft atHong Kong International Airportin 2018.

In 2010, the airline set another record high profit, amounting toHK$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 officerJohn Slosarhad succeeded as the new CEO.In addition, New Zealand's Commerce Commission had dropped charges against Cathay Pacific concerning the air cargo price-fi xing agreements.In 2014, the airline underwent the largest network expansion in recent years which included the addition of links toManchester,Zurich andBoston.

On 8 October 2016, Cathay Pacific retired their last passengerBoeing 747(a 747–400 with reg B-HUJ) with a farewell scenic flight around Hong Kong after over 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 over 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 dishesserved in all cabins, and revamped its Business Class service propositionto 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 studioat 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 acquireHK 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 in July 2019 and HK Express has become Cathay Pacific's wholly owned subsidiary.

2019–2020: Hong Kong protests

During the2019–20 Hong Kong protests,Cathay Pacific employees participated in protests atHong 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 chairmanJohn Slosarresponded, "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 CEORupert Hoggdeclared 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 PacificandAir Chinahalted stock trading pending an announcement. On 10 June, Cathay Pacific and theGovernment of Hong Kongjointly 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, andQatar 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

TheCOVID-19 pandemicled 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 subsidiaryHKExpresssuspended 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 April 22, 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 USA later in the year.

On May 12, 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 theAirport Authority Hong Kong's "World of Winners" campaign,which aimed to promote tourism withinHong Kong,the Airline provided some of the 500,000 tickets in the campaign. The Airline released the tickets 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 January 7 when the airline axed 27 flights at short notice.

After slashing its workforce during theCOVID-19 pandemic,local news outlets say Cathay Pacific is now experiencing significant difficulties recruiting pilots, especially senior pilots. The Hong Kong Free Post outlet says Cathay only recruited 100 new pilots in 2023. According toThe Straits Times,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.

Corporate affairs, identity and senior leadership

Business trends

The key trends for Cathay Pacific are (as of the financial year ending December 31):

	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022	2023
Revenue(HK$ b)	105	102	92.7	97.2	111	106	46.9	45.5	51.0	94.4
Net profit(HK$ b)	3.1	6.0	−0.5	−1.2	2.3	1.6	−21.6	−5.5	−6.5	9.7
Number of employees	25,755	26,824	26,674	26,029	26,623	27,342	19,452	16,721	16,462	18,211
Number of passengers(m)	31.5	34.0	34.3	34.8	35.4	35.2	4.6	0.71	2.8	17.9
Passenger load factor (%)	83.3	85.7	84.5	84.4	84.1	82.3	58.0	31.1	73.6	85.7
Cargo carried (000 tonnes)	1,723	1,798	1,854	2,056	2,152	2,022	1,332	1,333	1,154	1,381
Fleet size	147	146	146	149	154	155	199	193	181	181
References

Head office

Cathay City,the airline's head office, located atHong Kong International Airport.

Cathay Pacific's head office,Cathay City,is located atHong Kong International Airport.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 theSwire House,which was a complex inCentralnamed after the airline's parent company.

Major shareholders

• Swire Pacific45%
• Air China29.99%
• Qatar Airways9.61%
• HKSAR government6.08%

Subsidiaries and associates

Cathay Pacific has diversified into related industries and sectors, includingground handling,aviation engineering, inflight catering.

Companies with Cathay Pacific Group stake include:

Company	Type	Principal activities	Incorporated in	Group's Equity Shareholding
Air China	Corporate	Airline	China	20%
Air China Cargo	Joint Venture	Cargo airline	China	49%**
AHK Air Hong Kong Limited	Subsidiary	Cargo airline	Hong Kong	100%
Airline Property Limited	Subsidiary	Property Investment	Hong Kong	100%
Airline Store Property Limited	Subsidiary	Property Investment	Hong Kong	100%
Asia Training Property Limited	Subsidiary	Property Investment	Hong Kong	100%
Asia MilesLimited	Subsidiary	Travel Reward	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Cargo Terminal	Subsidiary	Airline Cargo handling	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Holidays Limited	Subsidiary	Tour Operator	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Pacific Aero Limited	Subsidiary	Financial Services	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Pacific Aircraft Lease Finance Limited	Subsidiary	Aircraft Leasing	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Pacific Aircraft Services Limited	Subsidiary	Aircraft Acquisition	Isle of Man	100%
Cathay Dining	Subsidiary	Airline Catering	Hong Kong	100%
Cathay Pacific MTN Financing Limited	Subsidiary	Financial services	Cayman Islands	100%
Cebu Pacific Catering Services Inc.	Joint Venture	Airline catering	Philippines	40%
Deli Fresh Limited	Subsidiary	Catering	Hong Kong	100%
Ground Support Engineering Limited	Joint Venture	Airport ground engineering support and equipment maintenance	Hong Kong	50%
Global Logistics System HK Company Limited	-	Air Cargo Computing	Hong Kong	95%
Guangzhou Guo Tai Information Processing Company Limited	Subsidiary	Information processing	China	100%
HAECO ITM Ltd.	Joint Venture	Inventory technical management services	Hong Kong	30%
Hong Kong Airport Services Limited	Subsidiary	Ground handling	Hong Kong	100%
Hong Kong Aviation and Airport Services Limited	Subsidiary	Property Investment	Hong Kong	100%
Hong Kong Express Airways	Subsidiary	Airline	Hong Kong	100%
LSG Lufthansa Service Hong Kong Limited	–	Airline catering	Hong Kong	32%
Shanghai International Airport Services Co., Limited	Joint Venture	Ground handling	China	25%
Snowdon Limited	Subsidiary	Financial services	Hong Kong	100%
Troon Limited	Subsidiary	Financial services	Hong Kong	100%
Vogue Laundry Service Limited	Subsidiary	Laundry and Dry Cleaning	Hong Kong	100%

**Shareholding held through subsidiary at 25%, another 24% held through an economic interest with total holding at 49%

Livery

VR-HOR, a 747-400, seen atCharles de Gaulle Airportstill wearing the Union Jack in 1993.

The same aircraft with the Union Jack eliminated, taxiing atZurich Airportin 1995, two years before theHong Kong handover.

ABoeing 747-200Fpainted in the 1994–2015 livery at Manchester Aviation Viewing Park. Notice that the aircraft were bare-metal livery instead the original all-white livery with lite green cheatline.

B-KPP, a Boeing 777-300ER, still wearing the 1994-2015 livery atLos Angeles International Airportin 2017.

The aforementioned aircraft in the current 2015 livery landing atChek Lap Kok International Airportin 2019.

From June 1971until November 1994, Cathay Pacific aircraft used a "lettuce leaf sandwich" liveryinBrunswick greenand white over bare metal and carried the British flag on theempennage.After the handover, aircraft carry theBrand Hong Konglogo and withHONG KONGor in ChineseHong Kongunder or beside theBrand Hong Konglogo 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 on thevertical stabiliser,introduced in the early 1990s, and was first deployed on a Boeing 747–400 (VR-HOT, re-registered as B-HOT), ahead of the launch ofAirbus A340service for Cathay Pacific. It also features the "Asia's world city" brandline, theBrand Hong Konglogotype and the dragon symbol; theOneworldlogo and theSwire Grouplogo.For most aircraft, the fuselage were all-white livery with a light green cheatline under cabin windows, but for some Cathay Pacific Cargo aircraft, especiallyBoeing 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.

In November 2015, the airline revealed a refreshed version of its previous livery, featuring a simpler paint scheme while maintaining their trademark brushwing on an all-green tail.It was first unveiled on aBoeing 777-300ER(B-KPM), in preparation for the delivery of the firstAirbus A350for Cathay Pacific. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in June 2020 amidst theCOVID-19 pandemicand 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).

Senior leadership

• Chairman:Patrick Healy (since November 2019)
• Chief Executive:Ronald Lam (since January 2023)

List of former chairmen

1. E. McLaren (1948)
2. E. G. Price (1948–1949)
3. C. C. Roberts(1949–1950)
4. E. G. Price (1950); second term
5. C. C. Roberts(1950–1951); second term
6. J.A. Blackwood(1951–1957)
7. W. C. G. Knowles(1957–1964)
8. H. J. C. Browne(1964–1973)
9. Sir John Bremridge(1973–1980)
10. Duncan Bluck(1981–1984)
11. Michael Miles (1984–1988)
12. David Gledhill (1988–1992)
13. Peter Sutch (1992–1999)
14. James Hughes-Hallett(1999–2004)
15. David Turnbull (2005–2006)
16. Christopher Pratt(2006–2014)
17. John Slosar(2014–2019)

List of former chief executives

chief executive officers were referred to as Managing Directors before 1 July 1998.

1. Sydney de Kantzow(1946–1948)
2. M. S. Cumming (1948–1950)
3. W. C. G. Knowles(1950–1957)
4. H. J. C. Browne(1957–1958)
5. W. B. Rae-Smith (1958–1960)
6. H. J. C. Browne(1960–1961); second term
7. Sir John Bremridge(1961–1971)
8. Duncan Bluck(1971–1978)
9. Michael Miles (1979–1984)
10. Peter Sutch (1984–1992)
11. Sir Rod Eddington(1992–1996)
12. David Turnbull (1996–2005)
13. Philip Chen(2005–2007)
14. Tony Tyler (2007–2011)
15. John Slosar(2011–2014)
16. Ivan Chu (2014–2017)
17. Rupert Hogg (2017–2019)
18. Augustus Tang (2019–2022)

Destinations

Main article:List of Cathay Pacific 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 itsOneworldandcodesharepartners,American AirlinesandBritish Airwaysvia Los Angeles and London, respectively. Also, the airline serves ten French cities via a codeshare partnership with French national rail operator,SNCF,from Paris.

Codeshare agreements

Cathay Pacific hascodeshare agreementswith the following airlines:

• Air Astana
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air New Zealand
• Air Niugini
• Alaska Airlines
• American Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Bangkok Airways
• British Airways
• Comair
• Fiji Airways
• Finnair
• HK Express(Subsidiary)
• Iberia
• Japan Airlines
• LATAM Airlines Group
• Lufthansa
• Malaysia Airlines
• MIAT Mongolian Airlines
• Philippine Airlines
• Qantas
• Qatar Airways
• S7 Airlines
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Swiss International Air Lines
• Vietnam Airlines
• WestJet

The airline also has an interlining agreement withVirgin Australia,a codeshare agreement with French high speed trains (SNCF) fromTGVstation atParis-Charles de Gaulle Airportto ten French cities.as well as codeshare agreement with ferry operators –Cotai Water JetandChu Kong Passenger Transport Co., Ltdto connect passengers from Hong Kong to Macao, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Shekou and Guangzhou in the Greater Bay Area. In addition, there is a codeshare agreement with Bahrain Limo for bus services between Bahrain and Dammam.

Fleet

Main article:Cathay Pacific fleet

Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of Airbusnarrow-body,and a mix of Airbus and Boeingwide-body aircraft.Its cargo division, Cathay Cargo, also operates a fleet ofBoeing 747freighters.Their main fleet consists ofAirbus A321neo,Airbus A330,Airbus A350,andBoeing 777aircraft, while their Cargo division operates two models of theBoeing 747:the747-400and the747-8.

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 earnAsia Milesand 'Status Points' on eligible fare classes with Cathay Pacific andOneworldmember 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 guaranteedEconomy Classseat, 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 Classcheck-in counters, 10 kg (22 lb) extra baggage allowance, 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 atHong 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 toOneworld Rubytier status, which entitles members to Oneworld Ruby benefits when travelling on a Oneworld member airline.

The Wing, Cathay Pacific's flagship airline lounge, located at Chek Lap Kok International Airport.

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, 15 kg (33 lb) 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 toOneworld Sapphiretier 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 Classcheck-in counters, 20 kg (44 lb) 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 toOneworld Emeraldtier status, which entitles members to Oneworld Emerald benefits when travelling on a Oneworld member airline.

Asia Miles

Main article: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 itsOneworldpartners. One Asia Miles are equal to one HKD.

Services

Ground handling

Self-check-in kiosks at Chek Lap Kok Airport.

Beginning in 2007, Cathay Pacific launched more methods to check in for flights. Among them were self-check-in using a kiosk atHong Kong International Airportand other select destinations and checking in via a mobile phone. Cathay Pacific also launched a mobile application onApp StoreandGoogle Play,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,Twitter,Instagram,YouTube andbloggingto 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

A First Class seat on board a Boeing 777-300ER.

First Class is offered only on select Boeing 777-300ERs and features 6 seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. Thefirst classseats can be converted into fully lie-flat beds measuring 36 in × 81 in (91 cm × 206 cm). The seats include a massage function, a personal closet, anottomanfor stowage or guest seating, and adjustable 18.5 in (47 cm), HDpersonal televisions(PTV). First class passengers are welcome to use Oneworld or Cathay Pacific first class lounges at their departure airport.

Business Class

Business Class cabin on board an Airbus A330-300.

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 82 inches (210 cm), with a width of up to 21 inches (53 cm). Each seat features a small, enclosed side cabinet, and an adjustable 18.5 in (47 cm) personal television.In 2016, upon delivery of brand newAirbus A350s,Cathay Pacific introduced a refreshed reverse herringbone seat designed byPorsche Design,with HD personal televisions and additional enclosed storage space on the side.In 2023, Cathay Pacific announced their “Aria Suite”, which will be installed on their Boeing 777-300ERs beginning in Quarter 2 of 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 21 in (53 cm) width and recline to 47 in (120 cm) of pitch and feature electrical recline and leg rest. A 12 in (30 cm) PTV is located in the seat back offers AVOD. In 2021, the airline has updated the cabin with a new seat on theAirbus A321neo,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

New Premium Economy seats on the Airbus A350-900 XWB.

Premium Economyis 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 12.1 in (31 cm) HD PTV, and improved pitch of 40 inches (100 cm). The new seats are configured in a 2-4-2 configuration, with a width of 18.5 in (47 cm).

Economy Class

Economy Class cabin on anAirbus A350-900.

Economy class on anAirbus A321neo

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 feature.

2007 Economy Class (333, ex. 340, 747, 777)

The phased-out old Economy Class seats, previously offered on aircraft outfitted with the refurbished long-haul interiors, were designed byB/E Aerospaceand introduced in July 2008.These seats include a fixed back design (shell) that allows passengers to recline without intruding on those seated behind, a 9 in (23 cm) 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 6 in (15 cm) PTVs with a choice of 25 channels. These seats are 17 in (43 cm) in width and have 32 in (81 cm) 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 itseconomy classseats 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 17.5 in (44 cm) in width and have 32 in (81 cm) ofpitch.

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 are retrofitted with a new seat featuring 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 17.2 in (44 cm).

2018 Economy Class (35k)

The A350-1000 Economy Class' design is based on the 2017 Economy Class design. A separate drink holder and a bottle pouch are added. The seat padding is thicker than any other types of Economy Class. The headrest is also bigger.

2021 Economy Class (321)

The 2021 Economy Class is identical to 2018 Economy Class design except a few upgrades, such as a4K resolutionin-flight entertainmentsystem.

Catering

A fruit and cheese course served in First Class.

A starter served in Cathay Pacific's Business Class.

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 withLSG Sky Chefs,provides inflight catering fromTorontoandVancouverairports;while Vietnam Air Caterers, a joint venture between CPCS andVietnam Airlines,provides the same for flights fromHo Chi Minh City.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'sin-flight entertainmentsystem, 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 magazineDiscovery(nowCathay). Passengers withvisual impairmentcan request for Hong Kong'sSouth China Morning PostinBrailleto be available on board. StudioCX providesAudio/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.

Accidents and incidents

Cathay Pacific has had some incidents and accidents over its history, although none have resulted in ahull lossor 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-operatedConsolidated PBY-5A Catalina(VR-HDT) fromMacauto Hong Kong washijackedby four men, who killed the pilot after take-off. The aircraft crashed in thePearl River DeltanearZhuhai.Twenty-six people died, leaving only one survivor, a hijacker. This was the first hijacking of a commercialairlinerin the world.
• On 24 February 1949, a Cathay PacificDouglas C-47 Skytrain(registered VR-HDG) fromManilato 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 (registered VR-HDW) 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 PacificDouglas C-54 Skymaster(registered VR-HEU) fromBangkokto Hong Kongwas shot downby aircraft of thePeople's Liberation Army Air Forcein theSouth China SeanearHainan 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 aConvair 880(registered VR-HFX) from Hong Kong toSaigon,overran the runway atKai 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 (registered VR-HFZ) from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) overPleiku,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.

B-HLL, the Airbus A330 involved in theFlight 780 incident

• On 13 April 2010,Cathay Pacific Flight 780,operated by anAirbus A330-342(registered B-HLL) fromSurabayaJuanda International Airportto 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 thePolaris Awardfrom theInternational Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associationsfor their heroism and airmanship.

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

External links

• Official website
• Cathay Cargo