Cathay Pacific facts for kids
A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000
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| Founded | 24 September 1946 |
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| AOC # |
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| Hubs | Hong Kong |
| Focus cities | Taipei–Taoyuan |
| Frequent-flyer program | Asia Miles |
| Alliance | Oneworld |
| Subsidiaries |
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| Fleet size | 180 (incl cargo) |
| Destinations | 83 (incl cargo) |
| Headquarters | Cathay City, Hong Kong International Airport, Hong Kong |
| Key people | |
| Revenue |  HK$104.37 billion (2024) |
| Operating income |  HK$13.928 billion (2024) |
| Profit | HK$9.888 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | HK$52.507 billion (2024) |
| Employees | More than 30,100 (2024) |
| Cathay Pacific Airways Limited | |||||||||||||||||
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| Traditional Chinese | 國泰航空公司 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国泰航空公司 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Cathay Aviation Limited Company | ||||||||||||||||
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| Cathay Pacific Airlines | |||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國泰航空 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国泰航空 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | Cathay Aviation | ||||||||||||||||
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| Brand name in Chinese | |||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 國泰 | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 国泰 | ||||||||||||||||
| Literal meaning | country (being) prosperous / Cathay | ||||||||||||||||
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Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, often called Cathay Pacific, is a major airline from Hong Kong. Its main office and biggest airport hub are at Hong Kong International Airport. This airline and its smaller companies fly passengers and cargo to over 190 places in more than 60 countries. They also work with other airlines through special agreements.
Cathay Pacific uses planes like the Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777. For cargo, Cathay Cargo uses Boeing 747 planes. In 2020, their sister airline, Cathay Dragon, stopped flying. Before that, it flew to 44 places in Asia. In 2010, Cathay Pacific, Cathay Cargo, and Cathay Dragon together carried almost 27 million passengers. They also moved over 1.8 million tons of cargo and mail.
Cathay Pacific was started on September 24, 1946. It was founded by Sydney de Kantzow from Australia and Roy Farrell from America. The airline celebrated its 70th birthday in 2016. As of March 2024, the main owners are Swire Group (45%), Air China (30%), and Qatar Airways (9.9%).
Cathay Pacific is one of the first airlines to join Oneworld, a group of airlines that work together. It has been named a 5-star airline and the world's best airline four times by Skytrax. In 2025, it was ranked the third best airline in the world.
Contents
History of Cathay Pacific
Starting the Airline: 1946–1960
Cathay Pacific Airways began in Hong Kong on September 24, 1946. It was started by Sydney de Kantzow and Roy Farrell. They were former pilots who had flown planes over the Himalayan mountains. Farrell bought the airline's first plane, a Douglas DC-3, which they called Betsy.
The company first started carrying cargo on January 28, 1950. Their first commercial flight carried goods from Australia. Soon, they moved their business to Hong Kong. They officially registered Cathay Pacific Airways Limited on September 24, 1946.
They named the airline Cathay after an old name for China. They added Pacific because Farrell hoped they would one day fly across the Pacific Ocean. This dream came true in the 1970s. The Chinese name for the company means "Peace and Prosperity."
The airline quickly grew. By 1947, they had more DC-3 planes and two seaplanes. Cathay Pacific first flew routes between Hong Kong, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Shanghai, and Bangkok.
In 1948, a company called John Swire & Sons (now Swire Group) became a major owner of Cathay Pacific. This happened because the Hong Kong government wanted the airline to be mostly owned by British companies. Swire Group still owns a large part of Cathay Pacific today.
In the late 1940s, the Hong Kong government divided flight routes between Cathay Pacific and another airline, Hong Kong Airways. Cathay Pacific got routes to the south, while Hong Kong Airways got routes to the north. In 1959, Cathay Pacific bought Hong Kong Airways. This made Cathay Pacific the main airline in Hong Kong.
Growing Bigger: 1960–1990
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The airline did very well in the 1960s. It grew by more than 10% each year. Cathay Pacific was one of the first airlines to fly to cities in Japan. In 1964, it carried its one millionth passenger. That same year, it got its first jet plane, the Convair 880. By 1967, all of its planes were jets.
In the 1970s, Cathay Pacific started using computers for booking flights. In 1971, they received their first Boeing 707 aircraft. By 1972, they had five of these planes. In 1979, the airline got its first Boeing 747. This allowed them to start flying to London in 1980.
The airline continued to expand in the 1980s. In 1982, Cathay Pacific Cargo started. This helped Hong Kong become a major trading port. They began cargo flights to places like Frankfurt and London. Passenger flights also grew to cities in Europe and North America, including Vancouver, San Francisco, and Amsterdam.
On May 15, 1986, the airline became a public company. Its shares could be bought and sold on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.
New Look and Alliances: 1990–2000
In 1990, Cathay Pacific bought a large part of Dragonair. They also bought most of the cargo airline Air Hong Kong in 1994. In 1994, Cathay Pacific updated its logo and passenger services.
The airline started replacing its planes in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Cathay Pacific changed the registration numbers and flags on its planes. This was because Hong Kong was handed over from the United Kingdom to China.
On September 21, 1998, Cathay Pacific helped start Oneworld. This is a big group of airlines that work together.
Moving to a New Airport and Polar Flights
On July 5, 1998, Cathay Pacific flew its last flight from Kai Tak Airport. The next day, flights began from the new Hong Kong International Airport. A flight from New York to Hong Kong was the world's first nonstop flight over the North Pole.
Challenges and Changes: 2000–2010
In 2001, Cathay Pacific had a disagreement with its pilots. Some pilots were fired, which led to legal cases. The pilots argued they were fired because of their union activities. After many years, a court ruled in 2012 that the airline had wrongly fired some pilots.
On September 28, 2006, Cathay Pacific fully bought Dragonair. This helped Cathay Pacific get more flights to mainland China. Dragonair's flights to Bangkok and Tokyo were stopped. In 2016, Dragonair was renamed Cathay Dragon. However, on October 21, 2020, Cathay Pacific announced that Cathay Dragon would stop all flights. This was due to fewer customers and money problems from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cathay Pacific and HK Express took over Cathay Dragon's routes.
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In 2008, Cathay Pacific faced a large fine in the US. This was for agreements about air cargo prices. In March 2009, the airline reported a record loss of HK$8.56 billion for 2008. This was partly due to bad bets on fuel prices. The airline had to cut flights and reduce costs.
Modern Era: 2010–Present
In 2010, the airline made a record profit of HK$14.05 billion. Cathay Pacific also received new planes like the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER. In 2014, the airline added many new routes, including to Manchester, Zurich, and Boston.
On October 8, 2016, Cathay Pacific said goodbye to its last passenger Boeing 747. This plane had flown for the airline for over 35 years.
From 2017 to 2019, the airline worked to improve its business. They added 13 new routes and made changes to their service. This included bringing back hot meals on busy flights and improving Business Class. They also added Wi-Fi to their planes. In February 2019, the airline announced a profit of HK$2.3 billion for 2018.
Data Security and New Purchases
In 2018, Cathay Pacific found out that some of its passenger data had been accessed without permission. This included passport and credit card numbers for about 9.4 million passengers. The company was later fined for this data breach.
On March 27, 2019, Cathay Pacific announced it would buy HK Express. This was the only low-cost airline in Hong Kong. HK Express became a fully owned company of Cathay Pacific in July 2019.
Recent Challenges and Recovery
The COVID-19 pandemic caused huge problems for airlines worldwide. In 2020, Cathay Pacific had to cancel most of its international flights. At one point, only 582 passengers flew with them in a whole day. In June 2020, the Government of Hong Kong provided a HK$39 billion rescue package to help Cathay Pacific.
In 2021, the company reported a record loss of US$2.8 billion for 2020. They also announced plans to cut 8,500 jobs. They closed pilot bases in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Frankfurt.
From December 2023 to January 2024, Cathay Pacific had to cancel some flights. This was because they had fewer pilots after reducing their staff during the pandemic. Many pilots had left or were let go. However, by December 2024, Cathay Pacific had reached its goal of hiring 3,400 pilots. This helped the airline get back to its normal flight schedule.
In January 2025, Cathay Pacific announced new direct flights to Rome, Italy. They also planned new routes to Munich, Germany, Brussels, Belgium, and Dallas/Fort Worth, USA, starting in summer 2025 and April 2025. The Dallas/Fort Worth route will be the airline's longest flight.
About Cathay Pacific
Business Information
Here are some key facts about Cathay Pacific's business:
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
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| Money Earned (HK$ billion) | 106 | 46.9 | 45.5 | 51.0 | 94.4 |
| Profit (HK$ billion) | 1.6 | −21.6 | −5.5 | −6.5 | 9.7 |
| Number of Employees | 27,342 | 19,452 | 16,721 | 16,462 | 18,211 |
| Passengers Carried (millions) | 35.2 | 4.6 | 0.71 | 2.8 | 17.9 |
| Planes in Fleet | 155 | 199 | 193 | 181 | 181 |
Main Office
Cathay Pacific's main office is called Cathay City. It is located at Hong Kong International Airport. The headquarters opened in 1998. Before that, the airline's main office was in a building called Swire House in Central, Hong Kong.
Who Owns Cathay Pacific
The main owners of Cathay Pacific are:
- Swire Pacific (45%)
- Air China (29.99%)
- Qatar Airways (9.61%)
- HKSAR government (6.08%)
Other Companies Cathay Pacific Owns
Cathay Pacific also owns parts of other companies. These companies do things like handle planes at airports, fix planes, and prepare food for flights.
Some of these companies include:
- Air China (20% owned)
- AHK Air Hong Kong Limited (100% owned) - a cargo airline
- Asia Miles Limited (100% owned) - a travel rewards program
- Cathay Cargo Terminal (100% owned) - handles cargo at the airport
- Cathay Holidays Limited (100% owned) - a tour company
- Hong Kong Airport Services Limited (100% owned) - handles ground services at the airport
- Hong Kong Express Airways (100% owned) - another airline
Plane Designs (Livery)
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From 1971 to 1994, Cathay Pacific planes had a green and white design. They also had the British flag on the tail. After Hong Kong was handed over to China, planes started to show the "Brand Hong Kong" logo.
All Cathay Pacific planes now have the "Brushwing" design. This design has a calligraphic stroke that looks like a bird's wing on a green tail. It also includes the "Asia's world city" slogan and the Oneworld logo.
On November 1, 2015, the airline showed a new, simpler version of its design. It still has the brushwing on an all-green tail. The first plane with this new look was a Boeing 777-300ER.
In June 2023, Cathay Pacific updated the design for its cargo planes. They changed "Cathay Pacific Cargo" to the larger "Cathay Cargo" text.
Leaders of Cathay Pacific
- Chairman: Patrick Healy (since November 2019)
- Chief Executive: Ronald Lam (since January 2023)
Where Cathay Pacific Flies
Cathay Pacific flies to 83 places (including cargo flights) in 46 countries. They have a strong network in Asia. The airline also flies to many major cities in North America and Europe. They make it easy to connect with their Oneworld partners like American Airlines and British Airways.
Cathay Pacific also works with other airlines to share flights. This is called a codeshare agreement. Some of their partners include:
- Air Canada
- Air China
- American Airlines
- British Airways
- HK Express (a company they own)
- Japan Airlines
- Lufthansa
- Qantas
- Qatar Airways
- Swiss International Air Lines
They also have agreements with ferry companies. This helps passengers connect from Hong Kong to Macau and other cities in the Greater Bay Area.
Cathay Pacific Planes
Cathay Pacific uses both Airbus and Boeing planes. Their main passenger planes are the Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, and Boeing 777. For cargo, Cathay Cargo uses Boeing 747 freighters.
Loyalty Programs
Cathay Pacific has a loyalty program called Cathay. Before August 2022, it had two separate programs: Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles. Now, members get one membership for both.
Membership Levels
The program has four levels: Green, Silver, Gold, and Diamond. There is no fee to join.
Members earn 'Asia Miles' and 'Status Points' when they fly with Cathay Pacific or Oneworld airlines. These points help members move up to higher levels or keep their current level. Higher levels offer more benefits, like extra baggage or access to airport lounges.
Green Level
Green is the first level. Benefits include a special phone line for booking flights. Members also get a voucher for a Business Class lounge when they earn 200 Status Points.
Silver Level
You reach Silver level by earning 300 Status Points. Silver members get to choose their seats early and have priority baggage handling. They can also use Business Class check-in counters. Silver status is like Oneworld Ruby status.
Gold Level
You reach Gold level by earning 600 Status Points. Gold members are guaranteed an Economy Class seat on Cathay Pacific flights if booked 72 hours before departure. They get extra baggage allowance and can use Business Class lounges with a guest. Gold status is like Oneworld Sapphire status.
Diamond Level
Diamond is the highest level, reached by earning 1200 Status Points. Diamond members get top priority for everything. They are guaranteed an Economy or Business Class seat if booked 24 hours before departure. They get more extra baggage and can use First Class lounges with two guests. Diamond status is like Oneworld Emerald status.
Asia Miles
Asia Miles are like points you earn when you spend money through the program. You can earn them by flying with Cathay Pacific and its partners. You can use Asia Miles for travel rewards.
Services on the Ground and in the Air
Checking In and Digital Services
Since 2007, Cathay Pacific has offered more ways to check in for flights. You can use self-check-in kiosks at the airport or check in using your mobile phone. Cathay Pacific also has a mobile app. You can use it to check flight times, check in, and read city guides.
The airline also uses social media like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. They share ideas with customers and offer virtual tours of their plane cabins.
In 2011, Cathay Pacific Cargo became the first airline in Hong Kong to use e-air waybills. This means they no longer need paper documents for cargo shipments.
Inside the Plane (Cabin Classes)
First Class
First Class is available on some Boeing 777-300ER planes. There are 6 seats in this section. The seats can turn into flat beds that are 36 by 81 inches. They also have a massage function and an 18.5-inch TV. First Class passengers can use special lounges at the airport.
Business Class
Business Class is on all international flights. Cathay Pacific introduced new Business Class seats in 2011. These seats turn into flat beds that are 82 inches long and up to 21 inches wide. Each seat has an 18.5-inch TV. In 2016, they introduced new Business Class seats designed by Porsche Design on their new Airbus A350s. In 2023, Cathay Pacific announced new "Aria Suite" seats for their Boeing 777-300ERs.
Regional Business Class
This Business Class is on planes used for shorter flights. These seats are 21 inches wide and recline. They have a 12-inch TV. In 2021, the Airbus A321neo planes got new seats with a 15.6-inch TV.
All Business Class passengers can use Business Class lounges before their flight.
Premium Economy
Premium Economy was introduced in March 2012. These seats have more legroom (38 inches of space) and are wider than Economy Class seats. They have a larger meal table, footrest, and a 10.6-inch TV. In 2016, new Premium Economy seats were introduced on the Airbus A350-900 fleet. These have a 12.1-inch HD TV and even more space (40 inches of pitch).
Economy Class
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Cathay Pacific has different types of Economy Class seats depending on the plane.
- Older Economy Class (2007): These seats had a fixed back design and a 9-inch TV. They are no longer used.
- Updated Economy Class (2012): These seats have a six-inch recline and are 17.5 inches wide.
- Newer Economy Class (2016): On the A350-900, these seats are dark green with an 11.1-inch touchscreen and USB ports.
- Boeing 777 Economy Class (2017): All Boeing 777s were updated with new seats. These seats are 17.2 inches wide and have 11.6-inch touchscreens.
- A350-1000 Economy Class (2018): These seats are thicker and have a separate drink holder. The screens have a privacy layer.
- A321neo Economy Class (2021): These are similar to the 2018 seats but have a 4K resolution entertainment system. They have a distinct red color scheme.
Food and Drinks
Food and drinks are free on all flights. On long flights, two hot meals are usually served. Alcoholic drinks are also free. The food for flights from Hong Kong is made by Cathay Pacific Catering Services.
In-flight Entertainment
Cathay Pacific's entertainment system is called StudioCX. It has personal TVs in every seat. You can watch movies, TV shows, listen to music, and play games. The airline also provides newspapers and magazines.
The StudioCX system offers many choices. You can pick from up to 100 movies, 350 TV programs, and about 1000 music albums. There are also 25 radio channels and over 70 games. Newer planes have a modern design, a moving map, and even live TV.
Awards and Recognition
On June 24, 2024, Skytrax voted Cathay Pacific as the 2024 World's Best Economy Class.
Safety Record
Cathay Pacific has a good safety record. They have not had any major accidents with total plane loss or passenger deaths since 1972.
- On July 16, 1948, a plane called Miss Macao was taken over by hijackers. It crashed, and 26 people died. This was the first hijacking of a commercial plane.
- On February 24, 1949, a Cathay Pacific plane crashed near a reservoir in Hong Kong in bad weather. All 23 people on board died.
- On July 23, 1954, a Cathay Pacific plane was shot down by military aircraft near Hainan Island. Ten people died. The military later apologized, saying they thought it was an enemy plane.
- On November 5, 1967, a Cathay Pacific plane went off the runway at Kai Tak Airport. One person died.
- On June 15, 1972, Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z broke apart in the air after a bomb exploded. All 81 people on board died.
- On April 13, 2010, Cathay Pacific Flight 780 landed safely after both engines failed due to bad fuel. 57 passengers were hurt during the evacuation. The pilots received an award for their bravery.
- On September 2, 2024, Cathay Pacific Flight 383 had an engine fire after leaving Hong Kong. The plane returned safely, and no one was hurt.
Images for kids
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A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000
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Cathay Pacific logo
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A Dragonair Airbus A330-300.
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A Cathay Dragon Airbus A330-300.
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A Cathay Pacific Boeing 747–400 at Singapore Changi Airport.
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See also
In Spanish: Cathay Pacific para niños
