‘80 Years Together’ (英文版本)

It is said that a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. In the case of Cathay, that first step was made eight decades ago. In this issue of Swire News, we find out more about the celebrations taking place throughout 2026. We also explore how the Cathay group is investing for the future and connecting more people, places and markets than ever before.

The Cathay group’s (Cathay) modest beginnings date back to 1946 when it was formed as an airline comprising a single DC-3 aircraft, affectionately known as “Betsy”.

Much has changed in the intervening eight decades. Today, Cathay is a truly global brand with a fleet of over 230 aircraft, having grown alongside Hong Kong International Airport – first at Kai Tak, then at Chek Lap Kok – as well as the city itself, and now connects its passengers and cargo to more than 100 destinations around the world.

While the scale of the business has changed dramatically in the past 80 years, its purpose to move people forward in life has remained constant. Cathay still supports travel, trade and opportunities for its home city. Crucially, Cathay is defined by its unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China and connecting the world. Today, Cathay encompasses four complementary lines of business – premium travel via Cathay Pacific, Cathay Cargo, low-cost travel via HK Express, and Cathay Lifestyle – together supporting connectivity for Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond.

For Ronald Lam, the Cathay group’s Chief Executive Officer, the journey is especially personal. “I have spent most of the last 30 years of my career at Cathay. When I first joined, Cathay was still operating from one runway at the old airport at Kai Tak. Then, when the airport was moved to Chek Lap Kok, in 1998, it also marked my first day as Manager on Duty. Finally, in 2024, we entered the era of the Three-Runway System and I attended the opening ceremony on behalf of the Cathay group. So, throughout my career, I have seen the development of Hong Kong as an international aviation hub as well as our growth alongside it.”

Strengthening important connections

Hong Kong may well be Cathay’s home market, but in recent years the group has also focused on growing its network in the Chinese Mainland. Currently, it flies to 24 destinations with more than 330 flights per week – with HK Express adding another destination, Wuxi, in July this year – reaching many parts of the country to bring passengers to and from Hong Kong, and beyond. This strategy includes supporting intermodal passenger and cargo connectivity with the rest of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), a megalopolis comprising Hong Kong, Macao and nine cities in Guangdong Province in the Chinese Mainland. Cathay also continues to strengthen its network serving countries taking part in the Belt and Road Initiative, an important global trade strategy.

“While we have made progress over the years,” says Ronald, “what hasn’t changed is our commitment to enabling people to travel and cargo trade to flow. In fact, our first flight in 1946 carried cargo supplies from Sydney to Shanghai, via Hong Kong. Our mission to connect people is something that has remained constant over the decades. What makes us unique is we are at the same time the most international Chinese carrier and the most Chinese international carrier. Our dining offerings are an example of this, as we serve Chinese classics alongside Hong Kong flavours and international favourites. But our diversity extends much further, to our cabin crew, our inflight entertainment and more. Cathay is diverse, yet unified. That is something only a home carrier with a history as long as ours can achieve.”

Triumphing over adversity

Cathay’s 80th anniversary celebrations come just a few years after one of the most challenging periods in the group’s history. The entire global aviation industry’s resilience was tested in the early 2020s due to the global pandemic, and Cathay was no exception.

Happily, over the past three years, Cathay has recorded a solid financial performance each year as it strived to rebuild the business. Reflecting on that journey, Ronald acknowledges the difficulties: “On the one hand, we fought hard to survive, which we did despite the extremely challenging environment. But on the other, we made deep transformations on many fronts so that we could come out stronger once the crisis had passed. By doing so, we were able to shift our focus on rebuilding and investing for the future.”

Cathay’s rebuild journey is now complete, with 35 destinations launched in 2024 and 2025 alongside record levels of recruitment and training. Cathay has also returned to the upper echelons of industry rankings. In March this year, at AirlineRatings’ World’s Best Airlines for 2026 awards, Cathay Pacific was named second in the “World’s Best Full-Service Airlines” category, in addition to winning the “World’s Best Business Class” for its Aria Suite cabins and the “World’s Best Airline-Branded Lounges”. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo was awarded the “World’s Best Airline-Branded Cargo Operations”, and HK Express was named the “World’s Best Low-Cost Carrier”. This follows Cathay Pacific being named by Skytrax as being in the top three of the world’s best airlines, and winning the world’s best Economy and inflight entertainment, as well as Cathay Cargo being named Cargo Operator of the Year by Air Transport World.

“We have a clearly defined strategy for the future that helps guide our path forward, together with a highly engaged, motivated, committed team,” Ronald explains. “In today’s uncertain world, we are more agile and adaptable than ever before, which enables us to respond quickly to changes in the operating environment.”

Investing for the future

Looking forward, Cathay has announced that it has committed well over HK$100 billion in investments into its fleet, cabin and lounge products, and digital innovation. By doing so, it is not only elevating the overall customer experience, but is also strengthening its own future in line with that of Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. Cathay’s investment coincided with the launch of the Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport at the end of 2024, which significantly enhances overall capacity at the airport and consolidates its position as a global aviation hub.

Cathay’s vision is to become its customers’ most-loved service brand, and the investment will go a long way to achieving that goal. There are more than 100 new narrowbody, regional widebody, long-haul widebody and large freighter aircraft in the delivery pipeline. New cabin products include the much-lauded Aria Suite in Business class, as well as Aria Studio for Business class in its regional Airbus A330 aircraft – set to be launched at the end of 2026. In terms of lounges, significant reopenings last year included The Bridge in Hong Kong and the lounge in Beijing after extensive renovations. Recently, the flagship Hong Kong lounge, The Wing, First, reopened and, later this year, Cathay Pacific will unveil its first ever dedicated lounge in New York, located at JFK International Airport. It will offer familiarity to loyal customers, underpinned by refined details such as being able to directly board the aircraft from the lounge.

“All of these enhancements are aimed at elevating the experience of our customers. The investment is already bearing fruit as we can see from the positive feedback we are getting from across our four lines of business. We are on the right course and, by committing now, we will be ready for the future,” says Ronald.

Celebrations to continue

As 2026 is a milestone year for the group, Cathay has already launched a number of initiatives to mark the occasion with its teams, customers and the entire Hong Kong community. Under the banner “80 Years Together”, it has launched special liveries on three of its aircraft – including the iconic “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery on one of its Airbus A350 passenger aircraft and Boeing 747 freighters. There is also the special “Spirit of Hong Kong” livery, developed in partnership with the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, adorning a Boeing 777-300ER passenger aircraft.

But the stylish looks aren’t just limited to the planes. Some 2,000 cabin and ground crew are sporting vintage Cathay Pacific uniforms, which are sure to inspire nostalgic memories for long-time customers. Then there’s the anniversary-themed merchandise – plus much more for enthusiasts of the brand. Plans are also afoot to celebrate with the local community, with the aim of uplifting 80,000 lives in 2026 through an expanded range of community partnerships with NGOs and charities.

“The response from the public so far has been extraordinary,” says Ronald. “I’m very excited about announcing more special celebrations with our customers, the community and especially our fantastic teams in the second half of the year. One highlight is that we are working with Hong Kong, Chinese Mainland and international media on a series of documentaries about our heritage, so look out for those being released soon.”

Focusing on future horizons

While global uncertainty remains a common theme across practically all industries, not least aviation, Cathay in its 80th year remains well-positioned for future growth.

The group’s dual-brand strategy, leveraging Cathay Pacific’s global network and premium service with HK Express’s growing network in Asia under the low-cost carrier model, puts it in good stead.

Guy Bradley, Chair of the Cathay group, says, “It has been an incredible journey for us so far, with many triumphs and a few challenges along the way. Hong Kong is a vital gateway between the Chinese Mainland and the world, and our role is to strengthen that connectivity as it develops. Through our well-over-HK$100 billion investment, we can ensure that we are able to support Hong Kong as an international aviation hub for many more years to come.”

As the celebrations continue throughout 2026, the teams at Cathay will reflect with great pride on the fascinating chapters in their story so far. But perhaps what is most exciting are those chapters as yet unwritten. There is little doubt that Cathay’s customers, people, partners and investors are waiting with great anticipation to see what the next 80 years will bring.

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