Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific eyeing daily flights to 2 Hainan cities in future, CEO says

“In the future, we hope to have at least one flight flying to each of these cities every day, perhaps covering even more cities.”

But the airline CEO stopped short of offering a timeline for the plan.

Alongside Lam, those involved in the five-day trip to Hainan that kicked off on Monday included representatives for Hong Kong-based consulates, the heads of foreign business chambers and senior managers from multinational companies.

Cui Jianchun, commissioner of the foreign ministry’s office in Hong Kong, said the trip aimed to help participants explore new opportunities for cooperation with Hainan.

Cathay’s Lam said its air travel business was developing in line with the company’s expectations, adding that demand for long-haul flights was “very strong”.

“The performance of our long-haul routes is very good and we are also seeing more intense competition for short-haul routes. A lot of local and foreign airlines have increased flights for short-haul routes,” he said. “We can see there is a certain amount of pressure in terms of airfares.”

Earlier this week, Hong Kong transport minister Lam Sai-hung told the Post that authorities “won’t solely rely on Cathay” to resume or expand aviation services, and were looking to other airlines for help.

The city’s flag carrier has struggled with staff shortages and recently shifted its target to reach pre-pandemic capacity from the end of this year to the first quarter of 2025.

The move has prompted concerns over Cathay’s capabilities as Hong Kong airport prepares to open its third runway by the end of this year.

Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po earlier called for the airline to boost its service quality and expand its network.