A new runway at its home Hong Kong airport and a major fleet expansion over the next decade will help to fuel consistent growth ahead for
Cathay Pacific Group, writes Mike Miller
Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways expects to add major new international routes in 2026 after completing three years of solid profitability.
“We had the worst three years of our history during the pandemic, and now we have had the best three years,” Cathay Pacific Group CEO Ronald Lam said at Routes World 2025 in Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific has undertaken a large transformation into four businesses, focusing its passenger airline operations on a dual brand strategy with network carrier Cathay Pacific and low-cost airline operation HK Express, alongside freight unit Cathay Cargo and its Cathay Lifestyle brand.
“HK Express will have more expansion coming to markets like Japan and Vietnam,” Lam said. Cathay will add more long-haul flights after an order for 14 Boeing 777-9 aircraft.
Cathay launched Hong-Kong to Dallas/FortWorth in April and the market was the sixth new passenger destination started in 2025. It has since announced a resumption of fights to Seattle next year, which will take to nine the North American cities it serves.
The airline is now benefiting from a new third runway at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). The three-runway system opened in November 2024, raising operational capacity by 50% and giving HKIA additional cargo efficiency. The airport will be able to handle up to 120 million passengers by 2035 and expects to remain the largest cargo airport in the world, a title which it has held for more than a decade.
“We are at a remarkable time in aviation development,” said Paul Chan, Financial Secretary of the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. “HKIA had 53 million passengers in 2024, up 24%, and the first half of 2025 already has seen 40 million passengers come through HKIA by 140 airlines.”
Cathay has benefited from the Hong Kong government’s expanded air service agreements with 12 countries, with Chile and Poland recently added.
Cathay is investing more than HK$100 billion (US$13 billion) in fleet renewal now that the third HKIA runway has opened.
“We have a 10-year plan,” said Lam. “More A320s and A321s will join the fleet in 2026-2027, followed by 777-9s in 2027 and Airbus A350s in 2028, plus new A350 freighters. Our only impediment is the infrastructure at other airports.” He cited capacity restrictions at London Heathrow, New York JFK and major Chinese airports as the only market impediments stopping Cathay’s growth.
Cathay Chief Customer & Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau added: “There’s never a time in the airline industry where supply and demand really match. We added 30% more capacity last year and filled it. We can stimulate demand.”
