Cathay Pacific To Increase China Flights

Cathay Pacific has announced intentions to increase flights to mainland China as restrictions begin to ease.

According to the Hong Kong government, “normal travel” between Hong Kong and mainland China will be resumed in an orderly manner. However, freedom of travel still doesn’t fully exist in the region. For example, passengers entering the mainland will still be required to undergo COVID-19 testing 48 hours before departure.

Cathay Pacific has been one of the hardest-hit airlines globally since the pandemic emerged. Struggling to capture demand, operate scheduled services, and make money.

The airline will now double its flight frequency to the mainland from January 14th. As a result, weekly return flights will total 61, spread across 13 cities.

The jump in weekly return flights is staggering. It’s up from the previous 27 flights from Hong Kong and 50 to mainland Hong Kong. The expansion reflects the easing of restrictions.

For now, Cathay Pacific is primarily targeting major cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and so forth. In addition, it will restore services to other cities, with more to follow in due course.

The airline needs to take a measured approach to restore flights. This will help ensure a successful relaunch.

Cathay Pacific aims to ramp up services between their hub in Hong Kong and the mainland. However, this will be permitted with no further restrictions.

The airline has said it hopes to offer 100 return flights per week by March. By year-end, it has also set optimistic goals for global recovery.

A lot of this is out of the hands of the carrier, which awaits further information from governing bodies.