Hong Kong’s Cathay set to return to 100% passenger flight capacity by January

Cathay Pacific originally said its recovery to pre-pandemic levels would not be possible until the first quarter of 2025

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Cathay Pacific and HK Express aircraft at Hong Kong International Airport. Photo: May Tse

Published: 5:40pm, 26 Nov 2024Updated: 12:02pm, 27 Nov 2024

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways and its budget unit, HK Express, will restore passenger flight capacity to 100 per cent of pre-pandemic levels by January, the company has said ahead of the city’s three-runway system launching this week.

Cathay Pacific, the group’s premium carrier, originally said its recovery would not be possible until the first quarter of 2025.

Hong Kong International Airport’s HK$141.5 billion (US$18 billion) three-runway system will debut on Thursday and will add in stages 50 per cent in passenger capacity to 120 million annually.

It will double cargo capacity from the current 5 million tonnes to 10 million tonnes per annum by around 2035.

Cathay Group CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said that after the company reached full capacity, it could focus on the future with regard to contributing to Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.

“I am particularly pleased that the successful completion of Cathay’s rebuild coincides with the opening of the three-runway system. We can now truly put the pandemic behind us and firmly focus on the future,” he said.