The Cathay Group releases traffic figures for August 2026

Achieving a new passenger milestone during the summer travel peak

The Cathay Group today released its traffic figures for August 2026.

Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “Driven by robust travel demand during the second half of the summer peak and healthy cargo demand across key markets, August marked another positive month for our travel and cargo businesses, despite elevated jet fuel prices. Our passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express together achieved a new all-time record by carrying more than 3.6 million passengers during the month, up 4% year on year. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo carried over 150,000 tonnes of cargo, 9% more than the same period last year.”

Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific carried 5% more passengers in August 2026 compared with August 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 3%. In the first eight months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 15% compared with the same period for 2025.

Lavinia said: “The robust demand we saw in July continued into August. Leisure travel remained resilient throughout the month, particularly from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to various short-haul destinations in our network. We also saw strong student traffic to North America and the United Kingdom towards the end of the month ahead of the start of the new school year. Looking ahead, while September is typically a quieter month for travel, demand is expected to pick up closer to the National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday period.”

Cathay Cargo
Cathay Cargo carried 9% more cargo in August 2026 than in August 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 1%. In the first eight months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 8% compared with the same period for 2025.

Lavinia said: “Cargo tonnage in August was supported by healthy demand across our key markets. Demand for Cathay Expert was driven by robust semiconductor shipments within Asia, while Cathay Pharma reported notable growth from Europe and the Chinese Mainland. Our Cathay Priority solution also continued to perform well, reflecting shippers’ need to replenish inventory ahead of the traditional year-end air cargo peak.

“Turning to September, we were honoured to fly more than 50 horses from Liège to Hong Kong earlier this month for CAVALLUNA’s debut performance outside Europe, showcasing our expertise in transporting live animals. Looking ahead, demand is expected to remain strong, supported in part by high-tech product launches and rising demand as we enter the traditional air cargo peak season.”

HK Express
HK Express carried more than 790,000 passengers in August 2026, a decrease of 1% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs) increased by 3%. In the first eight months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 8% compared with the same period for 2025.

Lavinia said: “HK Express’s Chinese Mainland routes remained particularly popular in August, with overall load factor for the Chinese Mainland reaching 90% despite capacity growth. Our newly launched direct service to Wuxi continues to be well received by customers, contributing positively to the performance of our Chinese Mainland network. Looking at September, as expected travel demand has softened following the summer peak, we remain focused on stimulating demand and leveraging the strength of our network.”

Glossary

Terms:

Available Seat Kilometres (“ASK”)
Passenger seat capacity, measured in seats available for the carriage of passengers on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (“AFTK”)
Cargo capacity measured in tonnes available for the carriage of freight on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Revenue Passenger Kilometres (“RPK”)
Number of passengers carried on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.

Revenue Freight Tonne Kilometres (“RFTK”)
Amount of cargo, measured in tonnes, carried on each sector multiplied by the sector distance.