The Cathay Group carried its highest monthly passenger total of 2025 in July, with traffic boosted by long-haul and regional leisure demand.
Cathay Pacific and its low-cost subsidiary HK Express transported a combined 3.2 million passengers during the month. Cathay Pacific alone carried 24% more travellers than in July 2024, supported by a 30% increase in capacity, while passenger numbers for the first seven months of the year were up 27% year-on-year.
Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said demand in the first half of July was led by long-haul traffic to and from Hong Kong, particularly among students and those visiting friends and relatives. Leisure traffic to regional destinations such as South Korea and Southeast Asia dominated the second half of the month, contributing to a load factor of 86%.
Looking ahead, Lau said student traffic is expected to provide a further boost in September, while Hong Kong’s National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays should stimulate regional leisure demand in October.
HK Express carried more than 680,000 passengers in July, up 22% year-on-year, with capacity increasing by 38%. Passenger volumes for the first seven months rose 32% compared with the same period in 2024.
The budget airline continued to grow its network, launching new services to Guiyang in July and Kuala Lumpur Subang in early August. However, demand for flights to Japan remained subdued during July amid earthquake rumours, though bookings have begun to recover in recent weeks.
