The reopening of China's borders was eagerly awaited by the Hong Kong company, Cathay Pacific. For decades, the latter has developed Hong Kong as the natural crossroads between Europe and Asia. China and the rest of the world. The reopening of borders and the lifting of restrictions on transit passengers have enabled it to regain this 'natural' market.
Cathay Pacific will more than double its flights to mainland China, operating 61 return flights a week between Hong Kong and 13 mainland cities from 14 January next.. A figure to be compared with 27 weekly flights (i.e. almost 4 daily flights) from Hong Kong to mainland China and 50 weekly flights from mainland China to Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific is also planning to step up the pace in the coming weeks. The airline has announced that it will operate more than 100 return flights a week on the Hong Kong-China mainland route by March 2023..
More flights to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Xiamen
Since 8 January, Cathay Pacific proposes 10 return flights between Hong Kong and Beijing and 21 weekly return flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai (Pudong). The airline is also resuming flights to Guangzhou (Canton) with five round trips a week.
14 January 2023, the airline to increase its flights between Hong Kong and Xiamen to four times a week, and between Hong Kong and Chengdu to six frequencies a week. The carrier also flies on Chongqing, Fuzhou, Hangzhou, Quingdao, Nanjing, Wuhan, Xian and Zhengzhou. It offers one to three frequencies a week to these cities, depending on the destination.
The group has announced that it is continuing to work on rehabilitating the Hong Kong hub after two and a half years of virtual closure. The carrier expects to recover around 70 % of pre-pandemic passenger capacity by the end of 2023. Before aiming a complete return to normal by the end of 2024.
