Cathay Pacific Expands Mainland Flight Frequencies
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, along with its sister airline HK Express, is ramping up its services to the Chinese mainland as part of a bold expansion strategy. Announced on March 27, 2025, the Cathay Group will boost flight frequencies to 20 key destinations, offering around 300 flights per week—a nearly 40% increase over the summer peak of 2024. This significant expansion is aimed at catering to rising demand and strengthening the ties between Hong Kong and China’s major strategic regions.
The airline group is placing a strong focus on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta regions, which are regarded as major national strategic areas. In Beijing, the schedule now includes seven daily flights between Hong Kong International Airport and Beijing Capital International Airport, along with a daily service to Beijing Daxing International Airport operated by HK Express. This combination brings the total number of flights to Beijing to 56 per week, ensuring robust connectivity to one of China’s most important political and economic hubs.
For Shanghai, Cathay Pacific will operate eight daily return flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai-Pudong International Airport, while an additional 11 return flights per week will serve Shanghai-Hongqiao International Airport. This brings the overall weekly frequency to 67 return flights, offering passengers greater flexibility and convenience when traveling between Hong Kong and one of China’s most dynamic commercial centers. Other important routes have also seen substantial increases. Flights to Zhengzhou, Ningbo, Haikou, and Chongqing will move from four return flights per week to daily services, with HK Express also launching daily flights to Ningbo during the summer of 2025. In addition, frequencies will be boosted on other popular routes: Hangzhou will now see four return flights per day, Nanjing will be served twice daily, Wenzhou will have 10 flights per week, and Wuhan will receive 12 flights per week. Furthermore, Cathay Pacific has announced direct flights between Hong Kong and Urumqi, commencing on April 28, 2025, expanding the group’s reach to northwestern China.
“We are delighted to be expanding our flight schedule in the Chinese Mainland this summer with services to 20 passenger destinations and increased frequencies on many of our popular routes,” said Lavinia Lau, Cathay Group’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer. “With our unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China, and connecting the world, we are committed to providing a seamless travel experience for our customers whether they are flying to, from, or via our home hub.”
In addition to bolstering domestic connectivity, the Cathay Group is also set to expand its global network in 2025, adding flights to 13 new international destinations. Cathay Pacific will launch new services to cities such as Hyderabad, Dallas, Rome, Munich, and Brussels, while HK Express will debut routes to Sendai, Nha Trang, Ishigaki, Komatsu, Cheongju, Daegu, and Miyako-Shimojishima. In total, the group will operate passenger services to more than 100 destinations throughout the year.
HK Express currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of 41 aircraft, which includes six A320-200s, ten A320neos, 13 A321-200s, and 12 A321neos, with an additional 21 A320neo family aircraft on order. This expanded capacity, combined with increased frequencies on key mainland routes, is expected to meet the significant demand for both leisure and business travel, solidifying Hong Kong’s role as a major international aviation hub while enhancing connections with China’s bustling population and commercial centers.
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