CATHAY PAC AIR Lin Shaobo: Continue to expand the mainland route network, aiming to increase the number of mainland destinations to 30
Cathay Pacific Group CEO Lin Shaobo stated that they will continue to expand the mainland route network, aiming to increase the 24 mainland destinations to 30 and add more flights on existing routes. He mentioned that they will consider adding destinations in all provincial capitals in the mainland, but demand needs to be assessed. At the same time, the capacity of Cathay Pacific's long-haul flights has surpassed pre-pandemic levels, but the overall market has not yet recovered. Cathay Pacific will focus on business travelers and cargo demand, while Hong Kong Express will cater to leisure needs
According to a report from the Economic Information Agency on the 4th, Cathay Pacific Group CEO Ronald Lam stated that the company will continue to expand its network and capacity for mainland routes, with a long-term goal of increasing the number of mainland destinations from 24 to 30, while also increasing the frequency of existing mainland routes. He also mentioned that the company will consider adding destinations in all provincial capitals in mainland China, but will first assess the demand for passenger, cargo, transfer, and "point-to-point services," and will also observe whether it can expand "all-cargo" services.
Regarding international routes, Lam indicated that the frequency and capacity of Cathay Pacific's long-haul flights have surpassed pre-pandemic levels, and there are enough crew members to support flight operations, but the overall market has not yet returned to pre-pandemic capacity.
As for the division of labor between Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express, he stated that Cathay Pacific will focus on developing routes with strong demand from business travelers and cargo, while Hong Kong Express will cater to leisure demand and expand routes to and from second- and third-tier cities in mainland China
