Cathay Pacific Announces Rome Flights

Cathay Pacific has announced it’ll begin service to Rome in 2025, making its European network grow to 12 destinations and part of network expansion efforts.

From 5 June 2025, a thrice-weekly flight will be offered between Hong Kong and Rome; however, it will initially operate only as a summer seasonal service to meet demand.

The newest service is also expected to complement Cathay Pacific’s already-existing presence in Italy. This is seen in the five weekly flights to Milan, which are expected to increase up to daily during summer.

Cathay Pacific’s expansion further into Europe shouldn’t come as a shock. The carrier has been hellbent on expanding its network following the disastrous effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure stability.

The carrier also wants to reach 100 global destinations from Hong Kong in 2025. As such, while only on a seasonal basis, aircraft deployment towards Rome will be pivotal in achieving that.

Cathay Group has already announced a substantial expansion to occur this year, with six cities that will be joining the passenger network for Cathay Pacific in the coming months in varying locations, from Dallas to Brussels, and even Hydrebabd with further announcements to be planned in due course.

Cathay Pacific’s history in Italy stretches back close to 40 years when we first launched direct flights between Hong Kong and Rome in 1986. We know our customers have been eagerly anticipating the return of this route, and we are delighted to be returning to Italy’s marvellous capital this summer. Whether they are travelling for business, leisure or the 2025 Jubilee celebrations, we look forward to welcoming customers onboard our flights to experience our world-class service.

Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau

The New Cathay Pacific Route

CX293 will depart Hong Kong (HKG) at 0045 on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and arrive in Rome (FCO) at 0750 local time.

The return flight operating as CX292 is expected to depart Rome (FCO) at 1145, with a next-day arrival back into the airline’s home of Hong Kong (HKG) at 0520.

Thus, service across the return leg will also depart on Monday, Thursday, and Saturday, making the thrice-weekly service seasonal. However, all this is subject to regulatory approval, and timings can change between now and the service launch.

This seasonal service is expected to run from 5 June 2025 through 25 October 2025, when Cathay Pacific expects to witness the most demand. This is just in time for the winter schedule changeover that typically occurs and the redeployment of other resources.

Cathay Pacific will utilise its Airbus A350-900 on service with this aircraft configuration in a three-class layout, including Business, Premium Economy and Standard Economy.