Cathay Pacific is set to return to its full pre-pandemic capacity in the Perth and Brisbane markets. From 28 October 2024, the oneworld carrier will increase its Hong Kong-Perth services from six to eleven flights a week and Hong Kong-Brisbane services from six to ten weekly.

A Winter Return to Cairns

In addition to the increased services, Cathay Pacific will also be making a much-anticipated return to Cairns this winter. After a long hiatus, a seasonal service will operate from 17 December to 29 March, offering three weekly return flights with its two-class Airbus A330-300 aircraft.

Maintaining Services in Sydney and Melbourne

While these changes are taking place, both Sydney and Melbourne will continue to retain their current schedules of four and three flights a day, respectively.

A Boost for Local Tourism

Local authorities have welcomed the increase in services. “Securing additional non-stop aviation services is absolutely vital to driving more travellers to our state, injecting visitor spend into our economy, and creating jobs in the tourism and hospitality industries,” said Western Australia Acting Tourism Minister John Carey. “We’re really excited to see an uplift in Cathay Pacific’s weekly offerings, with the airline now operating more services to Perth than they did pre-pandemic.”

Cathay Pacific and HK Express: A Strong Recovery

According to Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer of Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier HK Express, they currently operate at just over 80 percent of their pre-COVID capacity. However, the recovery is well underway. Thus far in 2024, Cathay Pacific has already added Chennai, Colombo, and Barcelona back to its network. Meanwhile, HK Express has added Beijing (Daxing), Bangkok (Don Mueang), Sanya, and Clark.

Looking Ahead: More Destinations on the Horizon

Cathay and HK Express currently fly to more than 80 destinations, which is expected to grow to more than 90 by next year. This includes the launch of flights to Riyadh from 28 October 2024. This marks a significant milestone in the aviation industry’s recovery as airlines like Cathay Pacific continue to expand their networks and restore their services to pre-pandemic levels.

The return to full capacity in Perth and Brisbane, the winter return to Cairns, and the addition of new destinations all signal a strong recovery and a bright future for Cathay Pacific. As the world opens up again, Cathay Pacific is ready to welcome passengers back on board and connect them to the destinations they love.