Cathay Pacific Fleet - Hong Kong's Flag Carrier [Archive] - Page 3

Subangite

October 24th, 2005, 07:12 AM

The UK has several international carriers, notably British Airways and Virgin Atlantic, hence the 'official' status may be questionable, although BA has traditionally been the representative icon of the UK worldwide.

You still haven't said what this official status is? who gives it?

Since Hong Kong has only one truly international carrier, it makes sense Cathay is the representative airline of Hong Kong.

Just because it makes sense doesn't make it "official". It might be representative of HK SAR, but it is far from official. It has a defacto status. So if HK hypothetically had 2 or 3 international Airlines as you say its "'official' status may be questionable"? Gee that easy to loose an "official" status ehh? This is such a farce!

Time Magazine refers Cathay as Hong Kong's flag carrier in one of its articles a few years back :

But perhaps the most definitive proof of Hong Kong's rebound is the disappearance of deep discounts on airline fares. The best deal still available is from flag carrier Cathay Pacific, aimed at travelers from the U.S.: a round-trip ticket from San Francisco, Los Angeles or New York costs $999, and includes a further stop in one of 17 other Asian cities. Lufthansa offers one of the best fares from Europe, from London for $795.

Source : "Hong Kong's Back!", Oct. 06, 2003 issue of TIME Asia Magazine

Just because Time Magazine quotes Cathay Pacific as a flag carrier doesn't make it so? The media has always gotten things wrong without checking on the facts, It is a very common misunderstanding that Cathay is HK's flag carrier. Plus under what authority can a magazine give this designation. Like I've said a flag carrier is a contradiction of terms, HK is not an independent state, its only a Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic, if anything it'll be the a PRC flag carrier not Hong Kong because HK is not a state! With this same logic, Ryan Air is Stansted flag carrier! Alaska Airlines is Seattle's Flag carrier!

Sometimes flag carriers and official carriers coincide.

Where do get this, sometimes flag carriers and official carriers coincide?? Can you justify your statement? You can have official carriers for sports promotions, football clubs, international events, i.e. the world cup, Man utd tour of Asia, an official carrier for the All Blacks team. Swiss Int' Air Lines is the official carrier for the European International Particle Accelerator Conference and so forth. You don't find however is an official carrier for city!!! You don't also find flag carriers for a city, because a flag carrier is a term associated with countries!!!!

In many countries, one single international carrier is marketed with the country as a tourism ploy. It is in this context that Cathay is Hong Kong's official carrier,

With our simplistic understanding and logic of the term, this would mean Singapore Airlines is Australia's "official" carrier!! Singapore Airlines has signed a 12 Million AUD MOU with Tourism Australia to promote Australian Tourism. If this is what it takes to become an "official" carrier by what you say, then ladies and gents, Singapore Airlines is Australia's "official" carrier!

just as Swiss is the represetative symbol of Switzerland and Air Canada being Canada's international airline.

Like I've said, and you just said it, "many countries", Plus you quoted "Switzerland, Canada," they are all countries!! HK is not a country!

Without getting too technical, there may be multiple carriers with the same country flag, but not necessarily multiple 'official carriers' for worldwide tourism marketing purposes. I highly doubt the British will use bmi for its worldwide tourism campaign, for example.

Countries don't just use their own home Airlines to market a global tourism campaign!! If by your definition an official carrier is one for worldwide tourism marketing pruposes then with Tourism Australia is using Singapore Airlines, your definition would be SIA the "official" Airline of Australia!

Come on, like I've said "official" airline term is never used for cities or countries, it is used for worldwide events, the world cup and so on, as I've said earlier. Thus Cathay is not an "official" airline! Nor is it a Flag carrier!

hkskyline

October 24th, 2005, 08:16 AM

You still haven't said what this official status is? who gives it?
Governments rarely give an 'official airline' trophy. Rather this is determined through evidence displayed from business and government relationships. For example, Cathay planes are the only planes in Hong Kong that have a full Asia's World City logo, which was created by the government for international branding purposes. Even Dragonair doesn't have that logo on its planes.

For larger countries with multiple international carriers, government and businesses have a choice in using one or many carriers for their international marketing campaigns. Hence the notion of an 'official' carrier may be questionable. This is such the case in the United States. In Hong Kong, the tourism authority is not going to use Dragonair to market to European and North American tourists.

Just because Time Magazine quotes Cathay Pacific as a flag carrier doesn't make it so? The media has always gotten things wrong without checking on the facts, It is a very common misunderstanding that Cathay is HK's flag carrier. Plus under what authority can a magazine give this designation. Like I've said a flag carrier is a contradiction of terms, HK is not an independent state, its only a Special Administrative Region of the Peoples Republic, if anything it'll be the a PRC flag carrier not Hong Kong because HK is not a state! With this same logic, Ryan Air is Stansted flag carrier! Alaska Airlines is Seattle's Flag carrier!

TIME's labelling of Cathay as the flag carrier actually confirms Cathay's special status as a representative international symbol of Hong Kong, in line with my hypothesis that Cathay is Hong Kong's official international carrier. Once again, it goes back to my point that a truly official carrier should have international connectivity and the support of both the local government and businesses.

Where do get this, sometimes flag carriers and official carriers coincide?? Can you justify your statement? You can have official carriers for sports promotions, football clubs, international events, i.e. the world cup, Man utd tour of Asia, an official carrier for the All Blacks team. Swiss Int' Air Lines is the official carrier for the European International Particle Accelerator Conference and so forth. You don't find however is an official carrier for city!!! You don't also find flag carriers for a city, because a flag carrier is a term associated with countries!!!!
Take a look at Canada as an example. Flag carriers include Air Canada and Westjet. However, the official international carrier is much more likely Air Canada and Westjet, since Westjet is very much a North American airline and not an international one like AC.

I'm not talking about carriers for events, organizations, and clubs. I'm talking about the big picture - when you see a tourism ad for a place, what airline would you associate with that place? When people think of the UK, their traditional image will be a British Airways plane, just as people think of France with an Air France plane and Germany with a Lufthansa jet. As the skies get more crowded, these images may change. Hong Kong's airlines are rapidly diversifying regionally and internationally. Perhaps in another decade, Cathay might have a truly international home-based rival.

Does a one-off ploy by a carrier in a tourism marketing campaign make it an official airline? Of course not. That's a very simplistic interpretation of 'working relationship'. Cathay has been a major partner with the Hong Kong Tourism Association for decades. Has Qantas relinquished its working relationship to Singapore Airlines for the Australian government decades ago?

Just because Hong Kong is not a country doesn't mean it can't have an official airline for tourism marketing purposes. This is clearly false as evidenced by an actual working relationship between local businesses, government, and Cathay.

I believe you are confused with official airlines for events and organizations and my view of it as an international marketing ploy for a city/country/region.

Is Cathay not representative of Hong Kong? This is hardly true.

szehoong

October 24th, 2005, 08:31 AM

So now we are talking about 'representitive', 'official' or 'Flag Carrier' ? :?

I am now confused! :D

All I know is that a government would usually step in to help a flag carrier. Just like how Helen Clarke (NZ PM) had to go to Aussie over NZ Air's Ansett fiasco ;)

Subangite

October 24th, 2005, 09:47 AM

Governments rarely give an 'official airline' trophy. Rather this is determined through evidence displayed from business and government relationships. For example, Cathay planes are the only planes in Hong Kong that have a full Asia's World City logo, which was created by the government for international branding purposes. Even Dragonair doesn't have that logo on its planes.

Government NEVER gives the "official" airline trophy! There is no such thing as an official airline of a city!! World city logo is a marketing ploy and does not make it HK's official airline!

I'm not talking about carriers for events, organizations, and clubs. I'm talking about the big picture - when you see a tourism ad for a place, what airline would you associate with that place? When people think of the UK, their traditional image will be a British Airways plane, just as people think of France with an Air France plane and Germany with a Lufthansa jet. As the skies get more crowded, these images may change. Hong Kong's airlines are rapidly diversifying regionally and internationally. Perhaps in another decade, Cathay might have a truly international home-based rival.

It still doesn't make them the official airline does it? I think Germany, I think Lufthansa, I think Italy, I think Alitalia, but the German and Italian governments do not give them the "official" status! It has nothing to do with association! Who cares if I associate these airlines with these countries, it irrelavent and doesn't make them OFFICIAL!!

Does a one-off ploy by a carrier in a tourism marketing campaign make it an official airline? Of course not. That's a very simplistic interpretation of 'working relationship'. Cathay has been a major partner with the Hong Kong Tourism Association for decades. Has Qantas relinquished its working relationship to Singapore Airlines for the Australian government decades ago?

Its not a 1 off marketing campaign, SIA has been promoting Australia for a very long time working with tourism Australia! Anyways You claim that an official airline is one that works with the authorities to promote the tourism of a place, like I said, this is unrealistic and too narrow of a scope, governments have never just only use their national airlines. So my point is that your usage of the term official airlines is already flawed!

Just because Hong Kong is not a country doesn't mean it can't have an official airline for tourism marketing purposes. This is clearly false as evidenced by an actual working relationship between local businesses, government, and Cathay.

Just because they have a marketing arrangement does not make them an official status.

I believe you are confused with official airlines for events and organizations and my view of it as an international marketing ploy for a city/country/region.

I believe you're under the impression that marketing a city constitutes an official status, it does not!

What has Swiss Int' Air Lines the official carrier for the European International Particle Accelerator Conference, got to do with Switzerland? The airline partnership is coordinated not by the city of country but by the marketing officials of the event and airline.

An official airline for an event, team, has more to do with advertising of an airline for that particular event than a marketing ploy for the city.

Is Cathay not representative of Hong Kong? This is hardly true.

I did not say cathay is not representative of HK. But being representative of HK doesn't make it "official".

Ibearia is representative of Spain, but its not an "official" airline of Spain.

Royal Brunei Airlines(RBA) is a flag carrier, a state owned carrier, representative of Brunei, Royal Brunei also markets and has does joint promotion of Brunei with Tourism Brunei, this still however does not make them an "official" airline of the sultanate.

Nowhere does RBA they state or have ever stated that they are the "official" airline of Brunei, just like nowhere does Cathay state they are the "official" airline of HK!

hkskyline

October 24th, 2005, 12:36 PM

國泰貨機一引擎故障關閉
消防戒備安全降落
2005年10月24日
明報

【明報專訊】一架國泰航空公司波音747型號貨機，昨午由日本飛往香港途中，機長發現其中一個引擎故障，將之關掉，在臨降落前14分鐘，機長通知赤角機場控制塔戒備，貨機最終安全陸，無人受傷。

據了解，波音747共有4組噴射引擎，若其中1個出現故障關掉，對飛行不會構成嚴重危險，機師受訓時亦會接受有關情的應變訓練。

機管局發言人說，該架航班編號為CX2025的國泰波音747貨機，於昨午由日本起飛，但至傍晚6時43分，機長通知香港機場控制塔，指貨機其中一個引擎故障，已經關掉，要求機場戒備。控制塔馬上通知消防派出多輛消防車候命，14分鐘後，貨機安全降落，有關方面正調查引擎故障起因。資料指出，國泰現擁有10 多架波音747貨機，每月平均載貨量超過8萬公噸。

hkskyline

October 25th, 2005, 03:16 PM

25 October 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific to add fifth daily service to Seoul

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced the addition of a fifth daily flight to Seoul, South Korea, offering passengers even greater coverage of services throughout the day and further strengthening connections across its Hong Kong hub.

The new non-stop service, starting 27 January 2006, will depart Hong Kong shortly after midnight, arriving early morning in the South Korean capital. The return flight from Seoul will be the first departure for Hong Kong from the city and will arrive before noon.

The new service will complement the airline’s existing schedule. The late-night Hong Kong departure will enable business travellers to make the most of the workday and connect with inbound services from Bangkok, Australia and New Zealand.

The return leg will principally make onward connections to Denpasar and points in Australia. Of the airline’s four other daily Seoul services, three are non-stop. The new service, for which final details remain subject to government approval, will also operate non-stop.

Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Development Augustus Tang said: “A fifth daily Cathay Pacific flight to and from Seoul capitalises on the growing enthusiasm for business and in particular leisure for travel to and from South Korea. Its schedule offers customers a new product and the prospect of easier access to more points across Cathay Pacific’s network, strengthening Hong Kong as a global hub.”

hkskyline

October 27th, 2005, 04:28 PM

Savills hired to handle Cathay staff housing
26 October 2005
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific has outsourced its housing service for 3,000 Hong Kong-based staff in what is probably the largest exercise of its kind in the city.

After mulling over the matter for about five years, the Hong Kong-headquartered airline has assigned all housing tasks to Savills.

Cathay's housing team used to handle tasks ranging from housing policy administration, tenancy management and orientation services for expatriates to property searches and general property advice.

Chris Marriott, Savills' deputy managing director and head of leasing, said the Cathay account was 20 to 30 times bigger than any of its other outsourcing accounts. Savills handled about 10 to 15 outsourcing accounts representing about 700 tenancies, he said.

A Cathay Pacific spokeswoman said the outsourcing was prompted more by a need for in-depth staff housing services than by cost-cutting concerns.

"We have a huge number of staff, and we had to seek professional advice on our service anyway, so we thought it would be a good idea to outsource to a one-stop service provider," she said.

One of the great benefits of the outsourcing would be the orientation service for expatriates newly arrived in Hong Kong. Previously, this was handled chiefly by the company's human resources department, the spokeswoman said.

According to Savills, Cathay used to have a team of 10 to 12 people to handle services for staff eligible for housing benefits.

"It certainly helps to free up some of our manpower in a non-core area," the spokeswoman said.

Savills has employed most of the Cathay housing service team to handle the airline's needs. Neither Savills nor Cathay Pacific would confirm how many members of the original team would be retained.

Because of the diverse nature of Cathay's housing allowance budget for its 3,000 staff, Savills, which focuses mainly on luxury residential transactions, would subcontract some of the work to local agencies with a greater exposure to the mass market, such as Midland Realty and Centaline, Mr Marriott said.

The greatest challenge would be to maintain quality control over third-party agencies, he said. Agencies would be screened for their due diligence practices to ensure service standards were maintained.

hkskyline

October 28th, 2005, 04:35 AM

27 October 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific to commence Beijing codeshare flights

Cathay Pacific Airways’ new code share services to Beijing with Air China will take off 30 October, offering wider customer choice and strengthening Hong Kong’s gateway position to the Chinese Mainland.

Air China will place its code on 10 weekly Cathay Pacific flights to the capital and Cathay Pacific will do the same on three daily return flights operated by the national carrier.

At the same time, a partnership between each airline’s frequent flier programme will come into effect. Full membership benefits, including miles accumulation and redemption, will be granted to passengers ticketed on both carriers, as will lounge access to qualifying passengers.

The combined membership of the Air China Companion and Asia Miles rewards programmes totals almost 6 million customers. Cathay Pacific acquired a 10 percent strategic shareholding in Air China at its initial public offering last year in Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Sales Hong Kong & China Clement Lam said: “Cathay Pacific’s codeshare with Air China to Beijing will provide much greater choice, particularly for passengers connecting through Hong Kong. This latest advance in our partnership will offer an even more attractive proposition to customers of both carriers and strengthen the hub status of their respective home bases.”

hkskyline

October 29th, 2005, 04:58 PM

By Bowen Chau from HKADB :

http://hkadb.no-ip.org/hkadb/forum/files/22102005bhiha_207.jpg

hkskyline

October 31st, 2005, 01:42 AM

Government NEVER gives the "official" airline trophy! There is no such thing as an official airline of a city!! World city logo is a marketing ploy and does not make it HK's official airline!
The World City logo is only available on Cathay's airplanes. No other airline is authorized to put that logo on its planes because Cathay has an agreement with the Hong Kong government for marketing and tourism purposes. Why would the Hong Kong government allow Cathay to use its logo for their own marketing purposes? Logically, it goes back to Cathay's worldwide network, superior service, and association in the international community that it is a symbol of Hong Kong. Whenever the Hong Kong Tourism Association promotes Hong Kong abroad, especially for long-haul destinations, Cathay Pacific will come to mind.

In fact, this 'official' status is more a marketing tool rather than some award or designation explicitly given by the government. But in the minds of foreigners, the association is there, just as foreigners will look at British Airways as the representative symbol of the UK. The associations are so strong at times that they may seem official as well. For example, BA may be the British's official airline because the only way to get to the UK from the far corners of the world is through BA. In countries where there are multiple international carriers, this image will be blurred, such as in the US.

Would other subordinate carriers be allowed to carry official government symbols on their planes? I hardly think so. Government symbols are a well-guarded proprietary item. They won't just fly off the shelves and go anywhere and everywhere. Cathay has won the right to advertise Hong Kong on its planes, oftentimes co-operating with the government to bring special liveries to promote Hong Kong to the world. This close working relationship is rivalled by no other airline, hence reinforcing Cathay's image as Hong Kong's official airline.

Obviously there is no press release that explicitly says so, but from all the circumstantial evidence, it's very obvious that Cathay is a lot more than just a Hong Kong-based airline.

Its not a 1 off marketing campaign, SIA has been promoting Australia for a very long time working with tourism Australia! Anyways You claim that an official airline is one that works with the authorities to promote the tourism of a place, like I said, this is unrealistic and too narrow of a scope, governments have never just only use their national airlines. So my point is that your usage of the term official airlines is already flawed!

This is a matter of consistency. Cathay is consistently being used by the Hong Kong government for tourism purposes, as evidenced by their international marketing campaigns and the Hong Kong brand logo on its planes. Would you see an Australian tourism advertisement in the US promoting SIA? Of course not. While some foreign carriers may be used for specific tourism markets, is SIA's relationship with the Australian tourism authorities consistently all-encompassing? No. Would Qantas be ditched from advertising Australia in exchange for SIA? No. Which airline would get the bulk of Australia's promotion business worldwide? I'd think it would be a home-grown carrier.

Subangite

October 31st, 2005, 07:53 AM

The World City logo is only available on Cathay's airplanes. No other airline is authorized to put that logo on its planes because Cathay has an agreement with the Hong Kong government for marketing and tourism purposes. Why would the Hong Kong government allow Cathay to use its logo for their own marketing purposes? Logically, it goes back to Cathay's worldwide network, superior service, and association in the international community that it is a symbol of Hong Kong. Whenever the Hong Kong Tourism Association promotes Hong Kong abroad, especially for long-haul destinations, Cathay Pacific will come to mind.

In fact, this 'official' status is more a marketing tool rather than some award or designation explicitly given by the government. But in the minds of foreigners, the association is there, just as foreigners will look at British Airways as the representative symbol of the UK. The associations are so strong at times that they may seem official as well. For example, BA may be the British's official airline because the only way to get to the UK from the far corners of the world is through BA. In countries where there are multiple international carriers, this image will be blurred, such as in the US.

Would other subordinate carriers be allowed to carry official government symbols on their planes? I hardly think so. Government symbols are a well-guarded proprietary item. They won't just fly off the shelves and go anywhere and everywhere. Cathay has won the right to advertise Hong Kong on its planes, oftentimes co-operating with the government to bring special liveries to promote Hong Kong to the world. This close working relationship is rivalled by no other airline, hence reinforcing Cathay's image as Hong Kong's official airline.

Obviously there is no press release that explicitly says so, but from all the circumstantial evidence, it's very obvious that Cathay is a lot more than just a Hong Kong-based airline.

This is a matter of consistency. Cathay is consistently being used by the Hong Kong government for tourism purposes, as evidenced by their international marketing campaigns and the Hong Kong brand logo on its planes. Would you see an Australian tourism advertisement in the US promoting SIA? Of course not. While some foreign carriers may be used for specific tourism markets, is SIA's relationship with the Australian tourism authorities consistently all-encompassing? No. Would Qantas be ditched from advertising Australia in exchange for SIA? No. Which airline would get the bulk of Australia's promotion business worldwide? I'd think it would be a home-grown carrier.

Can you just show to me where cathay has ever stated that they are the official airline of HK? Or the HK local government stating that Cathay is HK's official airline? I can't find it on Cathays website nor the HKSAR government site. Is this "official" airline of HK something that you have coined up to describe the government airline relationship that is present? In that case it is official only to you.

If YOU can show me otherwise, show to all that Cathay does state somewhere publicly, in a press statement or other public forms that they are the "official" airline of HK, or this same recognition by the HKSAR authorities, and that they use the word "official", I'll agree with you that they are the official airline. If YOU can not, then it is a term only YOU have used to describe Cathay Pacific, it is not recognised by the both parties nor is it officially sanctioned.

hkskyline

October 31st, 2005, 02:07 PM

31 October 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific celebrates Seniors’ Day with 50 percent discount

Cathay Pacific today announced a special offer to celebrate this year’s Senior Citizens' Day on the 20 November 2005. The offer is open to senior citizens in Hong Kong and, for the first time, Macau.

Cathay Pacific is offering a 50 percent discount to people aged 65 or over on Economy Class fares to selected destinations. For seniors who wish to travel with an adult companion aged below 65, their companion will enjoy a 20 percent discount.

Special discount destinations include: Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Manila Cebu, Jakarta, Denpasar, Surabaya, Colombo, Karachi, Ho Chi Minh City, Taipei, Sydney, London and Los Angeles.

Tickets must be purchased from 1-10 November and travel must be completed between 1 November 2005 and 18 January 2006. The offer is valid for Cathay Pacific-operated flights originating from Hong Kong. Asia Miles accrual is subject to individual fare type eligibility.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Sales Hong Kong & China Clement Lam said: “As the airline of Hong Kong, we encourage Hong Kong citizens to explore the world and share with their loved ones. Cathay Pacific’s half-price offer for seniors on tickets from Sydney to Bangkok and Los Angeles to London is a great opportunity to reunite with family and friends or simply to take that trip they always promised themselves.”

Terms and conditions apply. For reservations please contact your travel agent, call Cathay Pacific on 2747-1577 or visit www.cathaypacific.com.hk

HSBC

November 1st, 2005, 06:11 AM

Subangite

November 1st, 2005, 06:34 AM

If we look at the underlined sentence, which is said by the manager of Cathay Pacific, it clearly states that cathay Pacific is the airline of Hong Kong!
No one can argue that Cathay pacific is a HK airline.

I am not arguing that Cathay is a HK airline or not. Infact I agree it is a HK airline. Thats not the point of debate, what has been in question is stating it is HK's "official" airline, using the term "official" is a misnomer! Nowhere has Cathay have ever stated that they are the "official" airline!

Like I've posted before it is also not a "flag" carrier, since it is not a sovereign nation.

It is merely an HK carrier, the largets international HK airline, the HK airline.

Declaring Cathay a flag carrier, an official carrier is a misnomer, an erroneous and inaccurate use of these terms.

vincent

November 1st, 2005, 11:14 AM

I am not arguing that Cathay is a HK airline or not. Infact I agree it is a HK airline. Thats not the point of debate, what has been in question is stating it is HK's "official" airline, using the term "official" is a misnomer! Nowhere has Cathay have ever stated that they are the "official" airline!

Like I've posted before it is also not a "flag" carrier, since it is not a sovereign nation.

It is merely an HK carrier, the largets international HK airline, the HK airline.

Declaring Cathay a flag carrier, an official carrier is a misnomer, an erroneous and inaccurate use of these terms.
Seriously, whether HK is an "official" is not even an important point. I don't care whether they are "official".

hkskyline

November 1st, 2005, 08:10 PM

01 November 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific teams up with Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong limited on lounge GameZone

Cathay Pacific Airways today launched a unique collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Limited (SCEH) to create a “GameZone” in its flagship Hong Kong departure lounge, The Wing.

This is the first time that SCEH has teamed up with an airline on such a project in Hong Kong.

Equipped with some of the latest games, the GameZone will offer passengers – both children and adults – a total mood contrast to the tranquillity of the rest of the lounge environment, which will still be preserved with the help of noise-reduction headphones on game consoles.

Working with SCEH, There will be 11 popular game software titles such as the world’s best selling real driving simulator “GRAN TURISMO®4”, motion sensitive game to bring users new experience “EyeToy: Play2”, the newest product of the series with the most mischievous monkeys “Ape Escape 3”, “Gundam vs Z Gundam” and “Taiko No Ta Tsuujin Super Animeith”, in which passengers can try out as a rock band drummer.

Cathay Pacific Director Service Delivery Quince Chong said: “As part of our ongoing commitment in search for service excellence, we are proud to introduce a new element in our award-winning lounge, The Wing. Cathay Pacific’s GameZone provides a unique diversion for our young passengers – along with their young-at-heart parents and no doubt business travellers keen to let off a bit of steam before relaxing in-flight. It’s just another difference to our service that makes Cathay Pacific the airline of the year*.”

Sony Computer Entertainment Asia’s Corporate Executive Managing Director & Senior Vice President of Asia Business & Control Division Mr Tetsuhiko Yasuda said: “We are very happy and excited to have a chance to bring PlayStation®2 to ‘Cathay Pacific Game Zone’. PlayStation®2 is a most favourite computer entertainment platform in homes around the world. In order to offer more pleasure we came up to prepare a world wide known real driving simulator game including many classic and modern cars, GRAN TURISMO®4 with the latest and already released titles at start. With these joyful titles we hope to share a wonderful ‘PlayStation®2’ game experience to all VIP passengers before on board.”

Cathay Pacific’s two premium lounges, The Wing and The Pier, at the Hong Kong International airport provide abundant space for passengers to relax and plenty of choice for those looking to eat before their flight.

Both The Wing and The Pier were named “The World’s Best Airline Lounges”, “Best First Class Lounge” and “Best Business Class Lounge” in the Skytrax Research for 2004 and 2005.

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051101_GameZone_2.JPG

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051101_GameZone_4.JPG

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051101_GameZone_3.JPG

HSBC

November 2nd, 2005, 05:08 AM

I am not arguing that Cathay is a HK airline or not. Infact I agree it is a HK airline. Thats not the point of debate, what has been in question is stating it is HK's "official" airline, using the term "official" is a misnomer! Nowhere has Cathay have ever stated that they are the "official" airline!

Like I've posted before it is also not a "flag" carrier, since it is not a sovereign nation.

It is merely an HK carrier, the largets international HK airline, the HK airline.

Declaring Cathay a flag carrier, an official carrier is a misnomer, an erroneous and inaccurate use of these terms.

yeah...I don't understand why you make a fuss drilling on these "official" or "flag" carrier terms. anyway, I don't really care and I'm quite proud that Cathay Pacific, a HK airline, is the world's no. 1 international Airline!

Even for those so called flag or official airlines, and if they are crappy in terms of anything, are these kind of terms/name important in anyway???

Subangite

November 2nd, 2005, 05:51 AM

yeah...I don't understand why you make a fuss drilling on these "official" or "flag" carrier terms. anyway, I don't really care and I'm quite proud that Cathay Pacific, a HK airline, is the world's no. 1 international Airline!

Even for those so called flag or official airlines, and if they are crappy in terms of anything, are these kind of terms/name important in anyway???

Its like calling an apple, a orange. Lets not miss use words shall we.

Its not important but don't just declare this and that, grabbing terms thoughtlessly straight from the air because it simply sounds nice. Don't talk of terms without a clue of what they mean. That is called ignorance!

Monkey

November 2nd, 2005, 05:54 AM

But in the minds of foreigners, the association is there, just as foreigners will look at British Airways as the representative symbol of the UK. The associations are so strong at times that they may seem official as well. For example, BA may be the British's official airline because the only way to get to the UK from the far corners of the world is through BA.I agree with your general argument on Cathay Pacific. It is Hong Kong's de-facto flag carrier and the official tourist promotion is a persuasive argument. On BA the official link is provided by the fact that BA used to be nationalised. However I disagree that it's the only British airline that takes you to the far corners of the world. Virgin Atlantic operates lots of routes to North America and the Caribbean, to Africa and the Middle East, to Australia, to the Far East, and now Australia as well:

North America:
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Boston
- Miami
- Orlando
- Washington DC

Caribbean:
- Antigua
- Barbados
- Grenada
- Havana
- Nassau
- Port Harcourt
- St Lucia
- Tobago

Africa:
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Lagos

Middle East:
- Dubai

South Asia
- Delhi
- Mumbai

E/SE Asia:
- Hong Kong
- Singapore (Codeshared with Singapore Airlines)
- Shanghai
- Tokyo

Australasia:
- Melbourne (via Sydney with Virgin Blue)
- Sydney

And finally there's also BMI which operates mainly around Europe but does long haul to North America, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Subangite

November 2nd, 2005, 06:03 AM

I agree with your general argument on Cathay Pacific. It is Hong Kong's de-facto flag carrier and the official tourist promotion is a persuasive argument. On BA the official link is provided by the fact that BA used to be nationalised. However I disagree that it's the only British airline that takes you to the far corners of the world. Virgin Atlantic operates lots of routes to North America and the Caribbean, to Africa and the Middle East, to Australia, to the Far East, and now Australia as well:

North America:
- New York
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- San Francisco
- Boston
- Miami
- Orlando
- Washington DC

Caribbean:
- Antigua
- Barbados
- Grenada
- Havana
- Nassau
- Port Harcourt
- St Lucia
- Tobago

Africa:
- Cape Town
- Johannesburg
- Lagos

Middle East:
- Dubai

South Asia
- Delhi
- Mumbai

E/SE Asia:
- Hong Kong
- Singapore (Codeshared with Singapore Airlines)
- Shanghai
- Tokyo

Australasia:
- Melbourne (via Sydney with Virgin Blue)
- Sydney

And finally there's also BMI which operates mainly around Europe but does long haul to North America, India, and Saudi Arabia.

Add to the list they also codeshare to Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines, I think.

Cathay is a "de facto" flag carrier. That would be a correct usage of the term since it is exactly that, de facto. It is not a "flag carrier" nor is it "official".

Stamford Island

November 2nd, 2005, 09:56 AM

They codeshare with SIA? But BA is oneworld while SIA is Star Alliance. Anyway they use SIN alot to go to Australia.

UMD

November 2nd, 2005, 01:11 PM

They codeshare with SIA? But BA is oneworld while SIA is Star Alliance. Anyway they use SIN alot to go to Australia.

I am sure "Monkey" means Virgin Atlantic code-shares with SQ. SQ owns at least 49% of Virgin Atlantic, by the way.

hkskyline

November 2nd, 2005, 06:59 PM

Cathay defends sick leave changes
1 November 2005
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific yesterday denied allegations of breaching privacy and anti-discrimination rules by revising a policy that requires flight attendants to disclose their medical records.

The airline said the revised Attendance Monitoring Programme, announced to 6,500 cabin crew members last Wednesday, arose out of concern for the health of staff, and aimed to ensure they sought the right medical treatment when they fell ill.

The policy was also to ensure that each worker had a fair share of the workload.

Under the programme, flight attendants who take long or frequent sick leave will have to see their seniors and company doctors for assessment. They will also be required to sign a letter authorising disclosure of their medical records to the airline.

A spokeswoman for the Cathay Pacific Airways Flight Attendants Union said the move was an infringement of privacy rights and discriminated against the sick. Some attendants said the policy was to pressure staff not to take sick leave.

The union said it might complain to the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Privacy Commissioner or the Labour Department.

The airline's cabin crew manager, Shirley Sit Sin-yee, said yesterday: "The revised policy is for our staff to help us to help them.

"It is not intended to be a punitive scheme. We believe that any type of illness should be treated at the earliest stage. There were cases where our company doctors referred attendants to specialists upon realising that their illnesses had not been treated because they were only seeing general practitioners."

She said the programme had been introduced five years ago and was revised recently to allow monitoring of sick-leave records more systematically.

Ms Sit admitted that they had noticed that some attendants were frequently taking sick leave immediately before or after weekends and festivals. But she said these cases were "unusual".

"Every time somebody calls in sick, we have to mobilise our stand-by attendants," she said. "It is unfair to hardworking staff who demonstrate a 100 per cent attendance record if they always have to take over from colleagues who abuse the system." Workers cheating on sick leave would be fired if found out.

But Ms Sit refused to divulge the number of attendants who had been notified to disclose their medical information.

HSBC

November 3rd, 2005, 06:55 AM

Its like calling an apple, a orange. Lets not miss use words shall we.

Its not important but don't just declare this and that, grabbing terms thoughtlessly straight from the air because it simply sounds nice. Don't talk of terms without a clue of what they mean. That is called ignorance!

Now..I'm going to ignore you!!!

hkia

November 3rd, 2005, 07:33 AM

01 November 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific teams up with Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong limited on lounge GameZone

Expect to see a lot of missed flight. :)

Subangite

November 3rd, 2005, 07:43 AM

Now..I'm going to ignore you!!!

Why, just because I ask for people not to say things arbitrarily without a clue of what the words they are using really mean!

ig·no·rance noun: The condition of being uneducated, unaware, or uninformed.

By definition, yes, to do such a thing, i.e. using words without knowing what they mean is ignorance! You want to ignore me, fine then but what I have said, is a justifiable statement not prejudiced or made out of ill will.

Monkey

November 3rd, 2005, 12:44 PM

They codeshare with SIA? But BA is oneworld while SIA is Star Alliance. Anyway they use SIN alot to go to Australia.That list of destinations are Virgin Atlantic's - not BA's. Singapore Airlines owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic. However Singapore and BA also codeshare on one flight between London and Singapore despite belonging to rival alliances. It's a billateral agreement.

hkskyline

November 5th, 2005, 03:09 AM

Cathay Pacific is the only airline allowed to carry the 'Asia's world city' logo and decorate its planes in promotional livery for all of Hong Kong. This is the result of Cathay's close working relationship with the government and tourism authorities.

*********************
'Asia's world city' jumbo jet a big hit in UK
Tuesday, July 27, 2004
Government Press Release

http://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/brandhk/graphics/airshow.jpg

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20040726_awc_01_tb.jpg (http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20040726_awc_01_tb.jpg)

Cathay Pacific's unique 'Asia's world city' jumbo jet performed a dramatic display at the Farnborough International Air Show in the UK, the world's biggest aviation event.

The aircraft, a Boeing 747-400, performed slow and high-speed flypasts at an altitude of just 600 feet, pulling away steeply in a sharp banking turn and giving a rare close-up display of the Brand Hong Kong logo before thousands of aviation enthusiasts.

"A dramatic display by our 'Asia's world city' for the first time put Hong Kong at centre stage of this important world event," said Cathay Pacific's Director and Chief Operating Officer, Mr Philip Chen.

The 'Asia's world city' aircraft was specially chosen to promote Hong Kong at the event. Its livery, created to mark the fifth year of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, features Hong Kong's fiery dragon logo, symbolising the dynamic spirit of the city.

Green and blue waves running down the aircraft's back represent the land and oceans over which it flies.

Event organisers had invited Cathay Pacific to help celebrate the centenary of aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce. The airline was among the first to buy the Boeing 747-400 and tested the first prototype aircraft fitted with the Rolls-Royce RB211-524 engine, now used widely by airlines around the world.

*********************

Other instances of Cathay co-operating with the government's branding initiatives include these planes in special liveries showcasing Hong Kong to the world :

http://img224.imageshack.us/img224/2498/9168561by.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/916856/M)

http://img497.imageshack.us/img497/4364/6932780dd.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/693278/M/)

http://img497.imageshack.us/img497/6910/6612686lv.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/661268/M/)

http://img497.imageshack.us/img497/1874/5439732mj.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/543973/M/)

http://img497.imageshack.us/img497/9456/5349974pe.jpg (http://www.airliners.net/open.file/534997/M/)

Clearly there is more about Cathay to Hong Kong than just merely a locally-based airline. Dragonair, CR Airways, and Hong Kong Express don't enjoy these privileges of putting Hong Kong's brand logo and skyline on its planes. It's because the government and the Hong Kong brand already recognizes Cathay as an official international symbol of Hong Kong.

ericheung

November 5th, 2005, 10:09 AM

05 November 2005

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Promotes Hong Kong on US Tour

Cathay Pacific Airways' Chief Executive Philip Chen met with business leaders in San Francisco during a tour of major US cities designed to promote Hong Kong as the global gateway to the Chinese Mainland.

As guest speaker in the Distinguished Speakers Programme, held at the Bankers Club in San Francisco by the Hong Kong Association of Northern California, Mr Chen addressed an audience of more than 150 business, community and travel trade leaders.

"All great cities in the world today are aviation centres. The future of aviation will be a competition amongst hubs. Hong Kong's importance as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland must be enhanced," said Mr Chen.

He also led a leadership seminar with 50 future leaders attending Stanford University's Sloan Programme at the Graduate School of Business to share his views on the future prospects and development of the aviation industry. The Sloan Programme is a 10-month graduate programme for mid-career senior managers. It regularly invites leaders of successful international corporations to address its student body.

Mr Chen added at the seminar: "Today, Hong Kong operates one of the busiest international airports in the world, served by over 70 airlines and operating to more than 140 international destinations. As the home carrier of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific believes that it bears an important role in Hong Kong's continued hub development and we are committed to further growing our fleet and network so as to help advance Hong Kong's status as the world's leading aviation hub."

Earlier in the week Mr Chen visited Dallas where he met members of the Hong Kong Association of North Texas at a breakfast hosted by Ms Doris Cheung, Director of the Hong Kong Economic Trade Office in San Francisco. Dallas will become the latest addition to Cathay Pacific's on-line network with the launch of a three-times-weekly freighter service from Hong Kong later this month. This flight will also serve Atlanta.

Cathay Pacific operates more services each week between Hong Kong and the North America than any other airline. It pioneered non-stop services from Hong Kong to Los Angeles and New York and recently added a third-daily flight to Los Angeles, the biggest West Coast hub. The airline also operates one of the world's youngest fleets, and has been voted "Airline of the Year" 2005 by SkyTrax.

hkskyline

November 6th, 2005, 09:32 AM

06 November 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Ends US Tour with San Francisco Mayor

Cathay Pacific Airways' Chief Executive Philip Chen has concluded a four-day tour of US cities to promote Hong Kong as a global aviation hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland.

Mr Chen met with Mr Gavin Newson, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, at his San Francisco City Hall office to discuss ways to further increase air traffic between San Francisco and Hong Kong. Doris Cheung, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, also joined the meeting.

Mr Chen announced that Cathay Pacific will be the designated airline to fly Mr Newson's first official trade mission to China since he became Mayor. He will lead a 40-member delegation of local business leaders to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong from 25 November to 4 December. It will also be his first official visit to Hong Kong.

"We are very proud that Hong Kong has been selected as one of the three major Chinese cities to play host to the mission led by the San Francisco Mayor. It underlines Hong Kong’s integral role as the predominant southern gateway linking the Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world," Mr Chen said.

"Great cities of the world today are aviation centres. The Mayor's mission further recognizes the importance of strengthening air links between San Francisco and Hong Kong - two of the greatest cities on either side of the Pacific Ocean. As Hong Kong's home carrier, Cathay Pacific is delighted to use its hub connections to help facilitate closer links between the United States and the Chinese Mainland," he added.

Cathay Pacific operates 95 wide-body aircraft and has a network reaching 92 destinations in 35 countries and territories. It operates more services each week between Hong Kong and the United States than any other airline, including 42 passenger flights to 24 cities through either direct or codeshare services and 21 scheduled freighter services. Cathay Pacific operates one of the youngest fleets in the world and has embarked upon the fastest expansion plan in its history, rapidly growing its fleet and network.

It provides the more services to major international cities out of its home-base in Hong Kong than any other airline. They include a thrice-daily service to Los Angeles, Sydney and London and a twice-daily service to New York. It will launch a fourth daily service to London in December. Cathay Pacific was voted "Airline of the Year 2005" in the London-based Skytrax Research poll of travellers around the globe – the world's largest passenger poll.

Earlier in the week Mr Chen visited Dallas, to which Cathay Pacific will later this month start a direct three-times-weekly freighter service.

Subangite

November 6th, 2005, 09:48 AM

ailiton

November 6th, 2005, 10:37 AM

Just prove the point, if you show us that HK SAR government or Cathay Pacific using the words the "official" airline of HK.

Maybe you should try to show us that you or your mom using the words the "official" son of your mom?

deej

November 6th, 2005, 11:08 AM

Give over, Subang. I think this point has been beaten to death.

Why is it so important to you whether CX is HK's 'official airline' or 'flag carrier' or 'de-facto flag carrier'? Are you with the IATA or something? Candidly, on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is 'most important', this ranks somewhere around -5. So my gentle suggestion is we all get on with life, eh?

Speaking of priorities, anybody been in the Gamezone in the CX lounge yet?

Subangite

November 6th, 2005, 11:12 AM

hkskyline

November 7th, 2005, 03:02 AM

Then by your bolded point, Cathay Pacific is the only Hong Kong-based airline (and any airline in the world) authorized by the government to carry the Hong Kong brand overseas.

HSBC

November 7th, 2005, 05:15 AM

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=official

of·fi·cial

1. Of or relating to an office or a post of authority: official duties.
2. Authorized by a proper authority; authoritative: official permission.
3. Holding office or serving in a public capacity: an official representative.
4. Characteristic of or befitting a person of authority; formal: an official banquet.
5. Authorized by or contained in the U.S. Pharmacopoeia or National Formulary. Used of drugs.

Don't throw all these English definition craps around, man!
Looking back all the previous posts, I can see how "popular" you are in this forum!
What are you trying to prove here? Are you trying to prove that HK is a crap place and has no official airline?

Subangite

November 7th, 2005, 07:29 AM

Don't throw all these English definition craps around, man!
Looking back all the previous posts, I can see how "popular" you are in this forum!
What are you trying to prove here? Are you trying to prove that HK is a crap place and has no official airline?

I'm not in this for a popularity contest! I'm not trying to prove HK is a crap place, I never said such a thing nor was there any intent to do so.

If you look back, this all started with me pointing out to the "flag carrier" title of this thread! Which I pointed out quite unambiguously that it wasn't a "flag carrier", quite a few people agreed with me its not. I was just pointing out how its misleading.

deej

November 7th, 2005, 08:13 AM

I'm not in this for a popularity contest! I'm not trying to prove HK is a crap place, I never said such a thing nor was there any intent to do so.

If you look back, this all started with me pointing out to the "flag carrier" title of this thread! Which I pointed out quite unambiguously that it wasn't a "flag carrier", quite a few people agreed with me its not. I was just pointing out how its misleading.

Dudes, chill already. You're arguing over ... **what** exactly?

Whether it's formally recognized or not by any government body, organization or whatever, Cathay Pacific IS the de-facto flag carrier of HK (not Dragonair which flies mainly to China and selected Asian routes).

hkskyline

November 8th, 2005, 05:28 PM

Cathay Pacific Airways targets Thai visitors to Hong Kong's Disneyland
8 November 2005
Thai News Service

Corporate News - Cathay Pacific Airways has announced a new package to encourage more Thais to visit Hong Kong Disneyland, The Nation reports.

With prices starting at Bt19,300 per person, packages include a return Bangkok-Hong Kong ticket, Hong Kong airport tax, Hong Kong security charge, fuel surcharge, a single-day pass to Hong Kong Disneyland, two nights' hotel accommodation - with one night at the Disney Hotel and one night at a designated central-city hotel - and round-trip transport between the airport, the hotel and Disneyland.

Packages are available to next March 31. Passengers flying with this package can select their own hotel, either in Kowloon or on Hong Kong Island. Yongyut Lujintanon, Cathay Pacific's sales and marketing manager for Thailand and Burma, said the airline hoped to attract 1,000 Thai tourists during the campaign.

The airline has also announced a Fly and See Hong Kong International Races package. The races will be held from December 7 to 11 at the Sha Tin Racecourse. package are priced from Bt21,100 and are available from now to November 18, with travel between December 6 and 11.

The airline's ongoing Hong Kong Super City promotion, available to next March 31, includes a round-trip Bangkok-Hong Kong ticket, two nights' hotel accommodation with airport transfer and Hong Kong security charge, all starting at Bt13,540.

Cathay Pacific Airways operates 35 flights per week from Bangkok to Hong Kong. The airline is working closely with the airport authority in Hong Kong to ensure full preparations for avian flu. It also coordinates with Hong Kong's Centre for Health Promotion and other experts to keep itself updated.

hkskyline

November 9th, 2005, 05:03 PM

Cathay Pacific to operate daily services from Mumbai, Delhi
8 November 2005
The Press Trust of India Limited

New Delhi, Nov 8 (PTI) Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific would operate daily services from Delhi and Mumbai from December during the winter schedule.

It would introduce 12 additional flights for this purpose.

The airline now operates four flights a week each to the two metropolises and would increase the frequencies to seven from next month till January, it said in a release.

The carrier is also offering passengers up to two nights free stay at a resort or a hotel in Disneyland on the Lantau Island, besides a free day pass for the theme park, the release said adding that this special offer was valid till December 15.

cheunger

November 10th, 2005, 12:32 PM

10 November 2005

Cathay Pacific releases October 2005 traffic figures

Cathay Pacific Airways today released traffic figures for October 2005 which show a rise in passenger numbers and an increase in cargo tonnage over the same period last year.

The airline carried 1,306,116 passengers in October, an 11.9 percent increase on the same month last year. The passenger load factor was 76.3 percent, down 1.3 points year-on-year. Traffic was a little suppressed by fewer people travelling during the Muslim holiday of Ramadan. Yield, the amount paid for every passenger kilometre flown, remained depressed as customers continued to book late in an environment of aggressive ticket pricing.

Cathay Pacific carried 103,962 tonnes of cargo in October, up 14.8 percent year-on-year, boosted by an increase in transhipment cargo to and from Shanghai. The cargo load factor was 69.9 percent, down 1.4 points reflecting weak demand for exports from Europe and the US to Asia.

Figures for Hong Kong’s air cargo market show slower underlying export growth. Hong Kong export volumes increased 5.7 percent, according to October figures issued by Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (HACTL), while transhipments increased 20.0 percent. Worldwide cargo figures issued by industry group IATA also show a slowdown in air cargo growth.

Market jet fuel prices have increased more than 43 percent in the past year and remained high in October, at almost US$80 a barrel, compared to US$64 for Brent crude. Into-plane prices paid by the airline are higher still with added fuel transportation costs.

The price of jet fuel is higher than that for crude oil because it is obtained from only a small fraction of refined crude. High demand for petrol can also prompt refineries to reduce jet fuel production, further raising its cost. Analysts say jet fuel demand, and prices, have dipped slightly in the past month as fewer people travelled to and from hurricane-hit areas in the United States, yet may rebound with the peak holiday travel season in the US, starting late November with Thanksgiving.

Cathay Pacific will continue to expand its services and hopes to soon operate a daily service to Rome, following the Hong Kong SAR Government’s announcement today it has secured additional flight rights to the Italian capital. The airline currently operates five Rome flights a week.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said:
"October was not a bad month, yet still below expectations. Competition was keen on key routes and we filled flights but at reduced prices. Bookings for early November look good, but slacken off again just ahead of the year-end holiday peak.”

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “Even though we are now entering the busiest time of the year for air cargo, there are signs of weakening demand, most likely a result of high fuel prices dampening the economy. Yields are under pressure as a result of a large increase in competitor capacity and we remain concerned about the impact of high jet fuel prices on our business.”

hkskyline

November 10th, 2005, 05:48 PM

Cathay will reduce the impact of the low-season in October once it flies to more destinations in China and take advantage of the Golden Week holiday travellers.

hkskyline

November 15th, 2005, 05:29 PM

Cathay Pacific to operate daily flights to New Delhi, Mumbai
15 November 2005

HONG KONG (AP) - Cathay Pacific Airways said Tuesday it will operate daily flights to New Delhi and Mumbai for the next two months as India temporarily lifted its cap on flights during the country's peak travel season.

Cathay, Hong Kong's biggest carrier, said the service will be available from Dec. 1 to Jan. 31. The airline now operates four flights a week to both cities.

Cathay currently flies to Mumbai via Bangkok, Thailand, and continues to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. All three additional flights will stop in Bangkok but only one of them will continue to Dubai, the airline said.

The carrier operates nonstop flights to New Delhi.

hkskyline

November 17th, 2005, 03:08 AM

Cathay Pacific Wins Three World Travel Awards, Including 'Asia's Leading Airline'

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Cathay Pacific Airways has added to its list of major awards this year by lifting three titles in the annual World Travel Awards -- one of the most prestigious events on the travel industry's calendar. Cathay Pacific was awarded "Asia's Leading Airline," "Asia's Leading Business Class Airline," and "World's Leading Use of In-flight Technology" at a glittering black-tie ceremony on Sunday night at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London.

Award winners were based solely on the result of a world-wide poll of travel industry professionals in more than 140 countries. Voting ran from May through September this year with more than two million ballots cast online. Finalists were whittled down from 3,500 initial nominations.

"Winning three awards 'Asia's Leading Airline,' 'Asia's Leading Business Class Airline,' and 'World's Leading Use of In-flight Technology,' is testament to Cathay Pacific's world-class commitment to the travel industry," said Graham Cooke president and founder of the World Travel Awards. The World Travel Awards cover all sectors of the global travel industry. The awards date back to 1993 when Mr. Cooke saw the need for a truly worldwide ceremony that rewarded an increasingly globalized industry. "Voted for independently by travel professionals worldwide, our award winners are having a major impact and influence on the world's travel and tourism industry. They are the true innovators and benchmarks for our trade, especially in the areas of customer service, technology, operational efficiency, product offering and style," said Mr. Cooke.

Earlier this year Cathay Pacific won the endorsement of global travelers when named "Airline of the Year 2005" in the world's biggest passenger poll conducted by UK-based Skytrax Research. Cathay Pacific was last month named "Airline of the Year" by regional travel trade members in the TTG Asia Travel Awards.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: "Winning not one, but three, World Travel Awards is a rare honor. To come top in global polls of both passengers and travel professionals in the same year reflects our commitment to set the industry standard for service and is a tribute to the hard work and commitment of all our staff. As the airline of Hong Kong we will continue to work to strengthen the city as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland."

CATHAY PACIFIC TO COMMENCE BEIJING CODESHARE FLIGHTS

Cathay Pacific Airways' new code share services to Beijing with Air China took off on October 30, offering wider customer choice and strengthening Hong Kong's gateway position to the Chinese Mainland. Air China will place its code on 10 weekly Cathay Pacific flights to the capital and Cathay Pacific will do the same on three daily return flights operated by the national carrier.

At the same time, a partnership between each airline's frequent flier program will come into effect. Full membership benefits, including miles accumulation and redemption, will be granted to passengers ticketed on both carriers, as will lounge access to qualifying passengers. The combined membership of the Air China Companion and Asia Miles rewards programmes totals almost 6 million customers. Cathay Pacific acquired a 10 percent strategic shareholding in Air China at its initial public offering last year in Hong Kong.

CATHAY PACIFIC TEAMS UP WITH SONY COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT HONG KONG LIMITED ON LOUNGE GAMEZONE

Cathay Pacific Airways recently launched a unique collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment Hong Kong Limited (SCEH) to create a "GameZone" in its flagship Hong Kong departure lounge, The Wing. This is the first time that SCEH has teamed up with an airline on such a project in Hong Kong.

Equipped with some of the latest games, the GameZone will offer passengers -- both children and adults -- a total mood contrast to the tranquillity of the rest of the lounge environment, which will still be preserved with the help of noise-reduction headphones on game consoles. Working with SCEH, There will be 11 popular game software titles such as the world's best selling real driving simulator "GRAN TURISMO(R)4", motion sensitive game to bring users new experience "EyeToy: Play2", the newest product of the series with the most mischievous monkeys "Ape Escape 3", "Gundam vs Z Gundam" and "Taiko No Ta Tsuujin Super Animeith", in which passengers can try out as a rock band drummer.

Cathay Pacific Director Service Delivery Quince Chong said: "As part of our ongoing commitment in search for service excellence, we are proud to introduce a new element in our award-winning lounge, The Wing. Cathay Pacific's GameZone provides a unique diversion for our young passengers -- along with their young-at-heart parents and no doubt business travellers keen to let off a bit of steam before relaxing in-flight. It's just another difference to our service that makes Cathay Pacific the airline of the year*."

Cathay Pacific's two premium lounges, The Wing and The Pier, at the Hong Kong International airport provide abundant space for passengers to relax and plenty of choice for those looking to eat before their flight. Both The Wing and The Pier were named "The World's Best Airline Lounges", "Best First Class Lounge" and "Best Business Class Lounge" in the Skytrax Research for 2004 and 2005.

ONLINE PROMOTIONS

November Deal of the Month -- explore Vancouver, B.C. starting from just US$223*!

Fly roundtrip to Vancouver, Canada from New York (JFK) starting at US$223* (including fuel surcharge, taxes not included). Cross the popular Lynn Canyon Suspension Bridge or take a trip to Vancouver Island for some delicious seafood. Discover Vancouver's breathtaking beauty no matter where you venture to. This offer is only available for purchase online at our Deal of the Month website between November 1, 2005 and November 30, 2005, 11:59pm PST (or until deemed sold out) for travel completed between November 1 and December 30, 2005. *See complete details at http://www.cathayusa.com. .

About Cathay Pacific:

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is one of the world's leading passenger and cargo airlines, serving more than one million customers a month to Asia, Europe and North America. The carrier offers daily non-stop service to Hong Kong and beyond from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Headquartered and founded in Hong Kong in 1946, Cathay Pacific and its two major shareholders are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Cathay Pacific is a member of the oneworld(TM) alliance, which includes Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Lan Chile and Qantas.

* Cathay Pacific was voted 'Airline of the Year 2005' in the world's largest passenger poll conducted by UK-based Skytrax Research.

hkskyline

November 18th, 2005, 03:29 AM

Cathay wins nod to raise surcharge as jet fuel slips

Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's de facto flag carrier, has obtained approval to raise surcharge on long- and short-haul tickets next month to help offset fuel costs, despite jet kerosene prices falling since last month.

Alman Loong
Hong Kong Standard
Friday, November 18, 2005

Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's de facto flag carrier, has obtained approval to raise surcharge on long- and short-haul tickets next month to help offset fuel costs, despite jet kerosene prices falling since last month.

The surcharge, which was approved by Hong Kong's Civil Aviation Department, will be increased to HK$383 for each single-trip ticket, up 8.5 percent from the current HK$353.

Cathay Pacific also will increase the short-haul flights surcharge from HK$91 to HK$93.

The department said it also approved surcharge extensions for eight airlines on short-haul flights, including Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, China Eastern Airlines, China Southern Airlines and Air China. The extensions will expire on January 31 next year.

The approvals were granted even though jet kerosene prices have declined by almost 25 percent since the beginning of October.

Jet kerosene prices rose almost 12 percent in September to US$78.39 (HK$611.44) a barrel in Singapore, but have been falling since the beginning of October, according to energy information provider Platts.

Airlines worldwide are passing on some of the increased fuel costs to passengers to help ease shrinking profit margins. Cathay Pacific has raised surcharges four times this year, including the latest levies.

Cathay Pacific chief executive Philip Chen earlier said the airline's fuel expenses rose 50 percent to HK$7.84 billion last year and fuel costs now make up more than 30 percent of its operating costs, up from 24 percent in 2004.

Merrill Lynch said in a research report this month that the fuel surcharges levied by Cathay Pacific remained below that of several major competitors, such as US$50 on long-haul flights by Singapore Airlines, US$51 by British Airways and US$55 by Qantas.

The investment bank said the market is expecting jet kerosene prices to be about US$75 to US$76 a barrel in 2006.

It estimates that each US$1 drop in the jet kerosene prices reduces Cathay Pacific's fuel bill by around HK$195 million per annum.

If jet fuel price remains around its current level of US$65 a barrel into 2006, Merrill Lynch said it may increase Cathay Pacific's earnings forecast. It estimates the carrier to post HK$3.4 billion for full-year 2005.

hkskyline

November 19th, 2005, 10:40 PM

DFW International Airport Welcomes Cathay Pacific Cargo
New Direct Service to Hong Kong Spurs More Economic Growth for North Texas
300 Metric Tonnes of New Asian Cargo Per Week to DFW
18 November 2005

DFW INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, Texas, Nov. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- DFW International Airport will welcome its newest cargo airline on Saturday as Cathay Pacific Cargo lands its first freighter aircraft at DFW. Fifty metric tonnes of cargo will arrive at DFW on each of the three weekly flights from Hong Kong. Seven million dollars of new economic activity will be generated annually due to Cathay Pacific's new flights to North Texas.

"This new service at DFW will greatly improve our service to shippers," said Tom Wright, Senior Vice President of Americas for Cathay Pacific Cargo. "We will be accessing new markets and cutting delivery times. Expanding our U.S. network is a significant step for the airline and Hong Kong."

"DFW is proud to welcome Cathay Pacific Cargo to Texas," said Joe Lopano, executive vice president of marketing and terminal management for DFW. "This is the kind of international business growth and expansion that makes our Airport the economic engine of North Texas. We've worked very hard for eight years to bring Cathay Pacific to Texas and we're very proud and confident that DFW will become a major U.S. market for this terrific carrier."

The additional Cathay Pacific Cargo flights will boost the more than 40 percent growth rate of cargo between Asia and DFW during the past two years. The almost 16,000 tonnes of new cargo per year represents a significant increase to an already impressive 245,000 tonnes of international cargo moved at DFW annually. DFW handles 65 percent of all the air cargo in Texas.

"Hong Kong is the largest cargo hub in the world and this new flight is a critical link between our region and that corner of the world," said Bill Frainey, assistant vice president of marketing for DFW in charge of cargo development. "We continue to make a strong case to international cargo carriers that we have one of the best cargo markets in the United States. We now have six Asian cargo carriers and we believe more growth is in our future."

Upon departing DFW, the Cathay Pacific Cargo 747-400 will fly to Atlanta before returning home to Hong Kong.

In addition to 300 tonnes of products delivered to DFW each week, Cathay Pacific has hired four new employees and contracted for ground service crews which will add additional jobs to the airport community.

"The Hong Kong-DFW market grew almost 46 percent in 2004 alone," said Lopano. "The majority of DFW's cargo exports will be capital goods such as consumer electronics and oil refining equipment. Imports into DFW will consist of garments, computer equipment, and integrated circuits."

In addition Asian freighter cargo has almost doubled every two years since 1993, with 34 percent annual growth rate since 1993.

The new Cathay Pacific service will operate each Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. On the ground for just two hours, the Cathay Pacific Cargo flight will unload cargo destined for the Midwest and Southwest before loading new cargo destined for Hong Kong and beyond.

The addition of new carriers like Cathay Pacific speaks to the vitality of the region and shippers' ability to reach more than 50 million customers within 24 hours by truck. In addition, the International Air Cargo Centre and other facilities at DFW have approximately 3 million square feet of cargo facilities, with more than 200 truck dock doors and ramp parking for eight 747s. The Airport will see the addition of 118,000 square feet of cargo facilities opening this month, and the ability to handle an additional three 747s or two A380s as Phase III of the International Air Cargo Centre is opened.

About Cathay Pacific:

Cathay Pacific Airways Limited is one of the world's leading passenger and cargo airlines, serving more than one million customers a month to Asia, Europe and North America. The carrier offers daily non-stop service to Hong Kong and beyond from New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Headquartered and founded in Hong Kong in 1946, Cathay Pacific and its two major shareholders are listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Cathay Pacific is a member of the oneworld(TM) alliance, which includes Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Lan Chile and Qantas.

About DFW International Airport

Located halfway between the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas, DFW International Airport is the world's third busiest, offering nearly 2,000 flights per day and serving 59 million passengers a year. DFW International Airport provides non-stop service to 135 domestic and 39 international destinations worldwide. For the latest news, real-time flight information, parking availability or further details regarding the many services provided at DFW International Airport, log on to http://www.dfwairport.com/ .

DFW International Airport

Web site: http://www.dfwairport.com/

hkskyline

November 20th, 2005, 05:23 PM

16 November 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific launches ‘upstream’ check in service on Chinese Mainland

Cathay Pacific Airways today checked in its first passenger taking a flight from Hong Kong International Airport – at a Chinese Mainland ferry pier in Shekou. Baggage was checked, a boarding pass issued and customs and immigration were cleared, allowing the passenger to step straight from the ferry to their flight, stopping only for some leisurely duty free shopping.

This first ever “upstream” airline check-in service strengthens Hong Kong’s role as a gateway to the Chinese Mainland and a global aviation hub by creating seamless connections between the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region and international flights at Chek Lap Kok airport. Passengers using the service can check in at Shekou for any Cathay Pacific flight to more than 90 destinations worldwide.

Cathay Pacific Director Service Delivery Quince Chong said: “Cathay Pacific has pioneered through-check services for passengers to and from the Chinese Mainland for more than 10 years. The launch of the check-in service in Shekou marks another significant milestone in our continuous effort to strengthen sea-to-air transportation links between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and bolster Hong Kong’s status as the global aviation hub and the predominant gateway to the Mainland.”

Ms Chong added: “Flying Cathay Pacific has never been easier for Pearl River Delta passengers. The SkyLink service makes Hong Kong the home airport for passengers in Shekou, and we hope in other key cities soon. We are bringing our international flight services a great deal closer to our passengers in the Delta region, expanding our catchment area in the Chinese Mainland and making flying via Hong Kong a convenient ‘one-stop service’ by streamlining customs procedures.”

The service, which formally commenced today at the Shekou Passenger Ferry Terminal in Shenzhen, is provided by SkyLink Passenger Services Company, a joint venture between Cathay Pacific, the Hong Kong Airport Authority and Hong Kong International Airport Services.

About one million Mainland passengers use the sea-to-air connection every year. An estimated 300,000 passengers will use the upstream check-in services at Shekou each year – and one third of them will fly from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific.

There are 12 ferry services from Shekou to Hong Kong airport each day and plans to extend the upstream check-in services to Macau, Fuyong (Shenzhen), Zhongshan and Dongguan.

Ferry services from these cities in the PRD to the airport have been in operation since September 2003. Check-in and immigration formalities were handled at the Hong Kong airport SkyPier terminal. The new upstream check-in service will save passengers the trouble of having to claim their bags for check-in at the airport ferry pier and speed up the process of transiting to their flight.

hkskyline

November 21st, 2005, 04:46 AM

18 November 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific Supports Airline Presidents' Resolution To Seek Government Action On Fuel Savings

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051118_aapa03.jpg

Asia Pacific airlines, including Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline of Hong Kong, today pledged their support to an Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA) resolution calling for governments to end the waste of precious resources caused by unnecessary air traffic delays and inefficient routes that force aircraft to follow indirect flight paths.

"The AAPA believes that governments must take immediate action to deliver the change that everyone needs," said Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen, who chaired the 49th Assembly of Presidents of the AAPA in Hong Kong.

"Cathay Pacific and carriers in the Asian Pacific region are working actively to reduce fuel consumption. Tremendous savings would be made if airlines could operate on more direct routes. Small changes to straighten airways would make a huge difference to save money, fuel and help the environment," Mr Chen said.

"Today's resolution is a strong statement by an aviation group that comprises leading airlines in the Asia Pacific and underlines the importance for governments to take immediate appropriate action," he added.

Fuel costs have doubled in the past two years and now account for the largest single expense for many airlines, including Cathay Pacific. Straightening some airways saved US$1.1 billion in 2004. Shaving just one minute off every flight operated in the world today would save more than US$2.7 billion and millions of tonnes of fuel a year, according to global aviation industry group IATA.

The AAPA, which represents 17 leading airlines in the region, seeks to speak with a common voice on behalf of the Asia-Pacific carriers when dealing with governments, aircraft manufacturers, airport authorities and other organisations affecting the efficiency of its members and the industry.

The AAPA resolution on fuel efficiency said: "Optimising fuel efficiency depends on many external factors, including route structure, air traffic flow management and airport capacity and layout." Governments should, it said, "Immediately introduce direct routing and operational measures at airports to reduce fuel wastage and improve airspace utilisation."

The meeting passed additional resolutions calling for a commonsense approach to handling health crises, security charges and proposed increases to insurance premiums. The AAPA also called on governments to exercise restraint in increasing the burden of levies on airlines and passengers.

The resolution said: "Air transport is essential for global business and tourism and plays an essential role in facilitating economic growth …The commercial viability of airlines is vital to the interest of global commerce...[Governments must] carefully consider the overall economic effects of putting further financial strain on the aviation industry, and to refrain from increasing the burden of aviation levies in any form."

hkskyline

November 21st, 2005, 04:04 PM

Cathay Seeks More of China's Skies
Soaring From Hong Kong, Carrier Lags in the Nation's Growing Inland Market
By Bruce Stanley
21 November 2005
The Wall Street Journal

Hong Kong -- BASED ON CHINA'S doorstep, Cathay Pacific Airways has become one of the world's most successful and well-run airlines. The hard part is crossing that threshold into China itself.

Cathay flies to New York and other cities far beyond its regional base. It bounced back from the outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome in 2003, when it idled almost a third of its planes for lack of demand and still made money. Profits for the first half of 2005 are down 3.6% from the year-earlier period largely due to high fuel prices, but it remains more profitable than many other airlines. Travelers voted it Airline of the Year in 2005 in a survey by Skytrax Research, an independent ranking service in Britain.

Because of strategic missteps, politics and bad luck, the "Cathay" in Cathay Pacific -- China -- barely figures in the airline's network. Although Cathay's base of Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China, even Northwest Airlines of Eagan, Minn., flies passengers to the Chinese mainland more frequently. That presents a long-term challenge, as China's air traffic is growing at a much faster rate than traffic in other Asian markets. Cathay's rivals are starting flights to China or increasing their presence there.

Cathay last autumn bought a 10% share in Air China, the mainland's state-run flag carrier, and agreed to help upgrade its partner's engineering, marketing and other operations. In return, Cathay hopes Beijing will support it as it seeks additional air rights in China.

This gambit prompted speculation that Cathay and Air China might be planning to merge. Both have quashed the notion, and their executives decline to comment on any progress in their partnership.

Cathay's core business of routing international travelers to and from Hong Kong, long the gateway to the mainland, is under threat. Like Hong Kong itself, the airline may face economic marginalization, given China's growth as a manufacturing center and the rapid deregulation of its skies. Cathay provides meager passenger service to two mainland cities, Beijing and Xiamen, and carries only cargo to Shanghai, China's most lucrative destination.

"The mainland wasn't such a big hole as it may seem now," Cathay Chief Operating Officer Tony Tyler says of years past.

Cathay's hybrid nature has aggravated its China problem. Its roots are in Asia, but Britons dominate its ownership and management. Its biggest shareholder is Swire Pacific Ltd., part of the Swire Group -- one of the early "Hongs," or colonial trading houses, that dominated Hong Kong's economic life in its 150 years as a British colony. Although its flight attendants overwhelmingly hail from Asia, Cathay's pilots are mostly British and Australian.

Despite Cathay's efforts to highlight its Asian roots -- such as dropping the Union Jack from plane tail fins for a feather-like brushstroke that evokes Chinese calligraphy, and equipping its planes with rice cookers -- some in the industry argue that its efforts to penetrate the mainland could suffer from its lack of stronger Asian credentials.

"They used to proudly advertise themselves as a British airline flown by British pilots." says Peter Lok, a director for both China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines, Air China's main domestic competitors.

Cathay honed its edge in the aftermath of World War II. Its founders were a pair of pilots, one American and the other Australian, who had flown supplies over the Himalayas and the "Burma Hump" to Nationalist Chinese forces. When the war ended, the American, Roy Farrell, bought a surplus military DC-3, christened it Betsy and began flying used tuxedos and other scarce luxuries to Shanghai. He formed Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong in 1946. The airline expanded throughout Southeast Asia and Japan, but Communist China offered it no welcome. It shot down a Cathay airliner in 1954.

Cathay got a small number of flights to Beijing and Shanghai in the 1980s, and then expanded its mainland presence by buying a Hong Kong newcomer called Dragonair. In a fateful step, it gave a controlling stake in Dragonair to a Chinese airline as a concession to keep that mainland carrier from encroaching on Hong Kong. Within a few years, Dragonair had "declared war" and shut Cathay out of the burgeoning mainland market, a former Cathay executive says. Dragonair, known as Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, says it was healthy competition.

Cathay hopes to parlay its 10% stake in Air China into something bigger. It sends specialists to advise Air China staff in Beijing, while as many as 80 Air China cabin crew are enrolling in a yearlong training program at Cathay's headquarters. The first trainees have studied grooming and the "service mind-set" and are getting in-flight experience aboard Cathay planes. They are sharpening skills, like mixing cocktails, which Air China crews will need to attract more international-business passengers.

"When we talk about a martini, they say, `Huh? What's that?' " says Cathay instructor Shirley Wong.

Some analysts predict it will take years for the two airlines to integrate their operations. Just standardizing their specifications for food trays, headsets and other basic cabin equipment is a challenge. Both carriers own stakes in Dragonair, and both have left open the possibility that it could be up for grabs. Dragonair, which won't comment on such a scenario, flies 56 times weekly to Beijing and 108 times to Shanghai, dwarfing Cathay's existing China network.

"Dragonair is a pawn in this game," says Kevin O'Connor, an analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets. "But it's a pawn that happens to be worth as much as a king."

vvill

November 24th, 2005, 10:37 PM

This is getting old.

Just prove the point, if you show us that HK SAR government or Cathay Pacific using the words the "official" airline of HK.

Cathay Pacific is the only airline allowed to carry the 'Asia's world city' logo and decorate its planes in promotional livery for all of Hong Kong. This is the result of Cathay's close working relationship with the government and tourism authorities.

Thats all that can be said about Cathay, they have a working relationship doesn't make it the official airline! Just because they have a monopoly on the promotion doesn't make it the official airline of the city.

The 'Asia's world city' aircraft was specially chosen to promote Hong Kong at the event. Its livery, created to mark the fifth year of the establishment of the Hong Kong SAR, features Hong Kong's fiery dragon logo, symbolising the dynamic spirit of the city.

This also doesn't make it the "official airline". Its just a promotional agreement.

Clearly there is more about Cathay to Hong Kong than just merely a locally-based airline. Dragonair, CR Airways, and Hong Kong Express don't enjoy these privileges of putting Hong Kong's brand logo and skyline on its planes. It's because the government and the Hong Kong brand already recognizes Cathay as an official international symbol of Hong Kong.

Just because cathay is the only HK based airline that enjoys and promotes HK still does not make it the "official" airline!!

It is not a recognition of an official international symbol if they have never declared it so, never have the HK SAR government declared Cathay an "official international symbol" as you put it! Thus it is not so.

hey i've just found this from a government website (investhk.gov.hk)

---

The Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) is consistently ranked as one of, if not the top airport in the world. Based at Chek Lap Kok, on the island of Lantau, it is also one of the most convenient city airports, being a 3 stop-35km-23 minute train journey away from the heart of the city on the Airport Express.

Over 72 international airlines fly from Chek Lap Kok (airport abbreviation HKG), providing over 4,700 flights per week to some 130 locations. This includes a non-stop service between the east coast of US and Hong Kong - the New York-Hong Kong flight is one of the longest commercial routes in the world and has a scheduled flying time of just under 16 hours!

Hong Kong's flagship people carrier is Cathay Pacific (flight prefix CX), which has a comprehensive regional and international service.

Budget airlines are a relatively new phenomenon in Asia, and to date only a few have incorporated Hong Kong in their flight schedules.

Flying in Asia is particularly cheap the further in advance you book and if you travel in off peak season. It is possible to provisionally book tickets and then decide nearer the time whether you require the flights. Flights around peak times, like around general holidays, get fully booked well in advance. Organisation and forward planning is key!

In terms of cargo, HKIA is also one of the busiest airlines in the world in terms of international air cargo. Furthermore, there are plans to triple the annual cargo capacity to 9 million tonnes.

source: http://www.investhk.gov.hk/content1q.aspx?id=990&code=TRANS-INTL-AIR&lang=1

no more arguments here right?

hkskyline

November 25th, 2005, 01:54 AM

Cathay, Swire Chmn Turnbull To Leave Grp End-Jan
By Jeffrey Ng and Joyce Li

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--David Turnbull's surprise resignation from the chairmanship of Swire Pacific Ltd. (0019.HK) and its Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (0293.HK) unit could prompt a mild selloff in the two companies' shares in the near term, analysts say.

Turnbull's decision Thursday to step down at the end of January 2006 comes just 11 months after he took the helm of the Hong Kong-listed conglomerate and its airline unit.

Swire said Turnbull, who has been with the group for nearly 30 years, decided to resign "after careful consideration" to "resume a more active operational role."

Turnbull will remain as the non-executive chairman of Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. (0044.HK), Swire's Hong Kong-based aircraft-engineering unit.

"His resignation is a surprise to us," said Peter Hilton, CSFB's head of regional conglomerate and transportation research.

Another analyst at a U.S.-based investment bank said Turnbull's departure wouldn't have much negative effect on either company, but "there could be a mild selloff in their shares as the move will create uncertainties and investors need to await the performance of Turnbull's successor."

The outgoing executive will be succeeded by Christopher Pratt, who has been with Swire for 27 years.

Pratt, little known to investors, oversees Swire's offshore, and trade and industrial divisions. Both units are relatively small, but have performed well in the past, analysts said.

"Pratt's track record looks solid, but the market will still adopt a prudent approach towards the new management," said an analyst who declined to be identified. "Investors had been hoping that Turnbull's charismatic style might bring in some new strategy to the group."

Others were less concerned about Turnbull's resignation.

"There shouldn't be much impact on the stocks. The company has always given investors an impression of a well-established management," said Steven Leung, director of institutional sales of UOB Kay Hian. "It shouldn't be affected by the move of just one person."

Swire Pacific's shares have risen 8.4% since the beginning of the year, while Cathay Pacific's stock has dropped 8.8% as fuel prices have rocketed. The benchmark Hang Seng Index has risen 6.0% during the same period.

Turnbull assumed his current role in January this year, succeeding James Hughes-Hallett, who became chairman of John Swire & Sons Ltd., the unlisted parent company of Swire.

hkskyline

November 25th, 2005, 06:34 AM

Cathay Pacific to Increase Flight Frequency to Bali

JAKARTA, Nov 24 Asia Pulse - Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific, which plans to strengthen its fleet to 100 aircraft, said it will increase its flights frequency to Bali in 2006.

Chief Executive Officer of Cathay Pacific Philip NL Chen said here on Wednesday the company currently operates 96 aircraft including Airbus A-330 and A-340 and Boeing 747 and Boeing 777.

Chen said Cathay plans to increase flights to Indonesia especially tourist flights to Bali.

Currently Cathay serves flights in three routes to Indonesia, including twice a day between Hong Kong and Jakarta and four times between Hong Kong and Denpasar and Surabaya.

vincent

November 25th, 2005, 11:37 AM

Cathay will reduce the impact of the low-season in October once it flies to more destinations in China and take advantage of the Golden Week holiday travellers.
wait, Oct is low-season? i thought it is the peak season for business travel to HK because of all those trade fair, and convention etc. (as well as April)

hkskyline

November 25th, 2005, 03:38 PM

Summer is the peak season. October is comparatively low season. If it had more China flights then it could capitalize on the Golden Week boom.

hkskyline

November 26th, 2005, 04:33 PM

Swire denies rift with Turnbull
By JUSTINE LAU
26 November 2005
Financial Times

Swire Pacific, the Hong Kong-based conglomerate that controls Cathay Pacific, yesterday dismissed suggestions that the surprise departure of David Turnbull, chairman, was caused by disagreements about his abrasive management style.

A person close to the company said Mr Turnbull, who has a reputation of being a difficult manager with a very hot temper, had decided to leave the company after a series of arguments. "He is not the easiest guy to get along with," the person said.

However, Swire said Mr Turnbull had left the job after only a year because "he has decided that he wishes to resume a more active operational role".

Swire said Mr Turnbull had underestimated how much he enjoyed a more hands-on job.

Swire said Mr Turnbull, who is also chairman of Cathay and holding company John Swire & Sons (HK), will step down at the end of next January "after careful consideration". He will remain non-executive chairman of Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (Haeco), a subsidiary of Cathay.

Mr Turnbull will be succeeded by Christopher Pratt, a long-time Swire hand with 27 years of experience at the group.

hkskyline

November 27th, 2005, 05:38 PM

A little nostalgia
Source : http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/

http://www.pbase.com/bmcmorrow/image/35809254.jpg

hkskyline

November 29th, 2005, 05:35 AM

Source : http://www.pbase.com/tonyosborne/heathrow

http://www.pbase.com/tonyosborne/image/38426420.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/tonyosborne/image/38958098.jpg

cheunger

December 1st, 2005, 02:48 PM

01 December 2005
Cathay Pacific Places Biggest Ever Order For New Aircraft

Cathay Pacific Airways today placed its biggest ever order for new aircraft to grow the airline, modernise and expand its fleet and continue to strengthen Hong Kong as a global aviation hub.

The airline has made commitments for 16 advanced wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with purchase rights for 20 more. It also made commitments to acquire three Airbus A330-300s to operate regional routes.

The 777-300ER’s will be acquired through a combination of 12 direct purchases from The Boeing Company and four operating leases from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). The three new A330-300s will also be acquired via operating leases from ILFC.

The 777-300ER will be powered by General Electric GE90-115B engines and the Airbus A330-300 by the Rolls-Royce Trent 700. The 16 777-300ERs will be delivered between September 2007 and July 2010. All three Airbus A330-300s will be delivered in 2008.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: "These aircraft orders mark an exciting and significant milestone in the development of our airline – demonstrating our Board’s confidence in the long-term future of the airline and Hong Kong. The addition of these new aircraft to the 100 we will have by next year will make us a carrier of significant size."

Mr Chen added: "More aircraft will allow us to have more flights, new destinations and greater hub connections. This rapid fleet increase will enhance our strength as a carrier and Hong Kong's position as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland. This is a long-term commitment to the continued profitable growth of the airline. It puts us firmly on a footing for future success."

Cathay Pacific's fleet currently totals 95 aircraft. Its long-haul fleet comprises 22 Boeing 747-400, 15 Airbus A340-300 and three Airbus A340-600. The regional fleet comprises 16 Boeing 777-200/300 and 26 Airbus A330-300 aircraft. The airline also operates 13 Boeing 747 freighters.

Later this month, the airline takes delivery of the world’s first 747-400BCF (Boeing Converted Freighter), converted from a Cathay Pacific passenger 747-400 aircraft. The airline has firm orders for six such 747-400BCF's and has options for a further six.

One new 747-400F freighter, one 777-300 and three Airbus A330-300s and three refitted 747-400 passenger aircraft have entered service with the airline this year. It has outstanding orders for one Boeing 777-300 and three Airbus A330-300s and one 747-400. Cathay Pacific's fleet will total 100 aircraft by September 2006, its 60th Anniversary.

hkskyline

December 2nd, 2005, 05:10 AM

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-095.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-098.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-091.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-135.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-136.jpg

http://www.globalphotos.org/hongkong/20051013/OCT13-S01-137.jpg

hkskyline

December 2nd, 2005, 04:50 PM

HK's Cathay Pacific kept 'neutral' after aircraft buy -JP Morgan
2 December 2005

HONG KONG (AFX) - JP Morgan has kept its 'neutral' rating on Cathay Pacific Airways, saying new aircraft deliveries will not impact its earnings forecast for the airline.

Cathay Pacific announced yesterday that it has placed an order for 19 aircraft worth an estimated 15 bln hkd, JP Morgan said.

It said the aircraft order, which includes 16 B777-300ERs and three A330-300s, will see deliveries from September 2007 to mid-2010 and will not have any impact on its earnings forecast.

'We believe the order is biased towards replacement, as the B777-300ER is an ideal upgrade for Cathay's older B747-400s,' it said.

It noted that orders for the new generation B777s were placed due to the airline's need to deploy more fuel efficient aircraft, especially on long flights to Europe and New York.

It said it expects the three A330s 'will be directed at growth on intra-Asian routes or possibly to Australia.'

With the acquisition, Cathay will operate 32 A330s and 33 B777s, it said, adding that Cathay remains the world's largest A330 operator.

The airline is considering further aircraft orders over the coming years as it also announced yesterday that it has options to acquire 20 more B777s.

'We expect Cathay to closely assess new generation composite aircraft offered by both Airbus and Boeing in the future,' it noted.

JP Morgan said the recent easing of oil prices should benefit Cathay but such benefits may be offset by a sluggish cargo market and pressures from the US dollar appreciation.

At morning close, Cathay was up 0.05 hkd or 0.37 pct at 13.60.

hkskyline

December 4th, 2005, 07:58 PM

Cathay reveals policy on minors going solo
04 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific seats unaccompanied minors travelling on its flights near families or women whenever possible, the airline has revealed.

But the Hong Kong carrier's policy was based on the preferences of its customers and was not a regulation, like rules adopted by Air New Zealand and Australia's Qantas airline, said a Cathay spokeswoman.

She said the Cathay policy was long-standing and had not come in response to a backlash against Qantas, which confirmed last month it had adopted the practice.

Qantas' confirmation came after 37-year-old father-of-twins Mark Worsley said he was asked to move on one of its flights last year when an unaccompanied child was assigned a seat next to him.

The policy has been criticised as discriminatory against men, and some opponents have painted it as an example of political correctness gone mad.

The New Zealand Human Rights Commissioner's office has agreed to take up the issue after receiving five formal complaints. It said the policy could contravene the country's Human Rights Act.

Cathay Pacific said passengers between six and 12 years old who do not travel in the care of a guardian are escorted from check-in until they are handed over to a designated adult at their destination.

When more than one unaccompanied minor is on the flight, they are usually seated together.

Strict care is also taken to ensure that minors are seated close to the aisle near cabin crew, and away from emergency exits.

"If the flight is very full, we tend to seat unaccompanied minors near families or female passengers because this is the preference of our passengers," said the Cathay spokeswoman.

Only on very rare occasions are children travelling alone seated next to men, she said.

"Once an unaccompanied minor is accepted to travel on Cathay Pacific, the airline is totally responsible for the child's safety and is entrusted with the total care of the unaccompanied minor," the spokeswoman added.

British Airways adopts a similar policy to Cathay Pacific.

Hong Kong domestic carrier Dragonair, a Cathay subsidiary, said it seated minors in plain view of cabin crew.

hkskyline

December 6th, 2005, 05:07 AM

05 December 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific signs agreement with Australia's air traffic control provider

Cathay Pacific Airways announced that it had signed an agreement with Australia's air traffic control (ATC) provider aimed at delivering greater operational efficiencies and possible future cost savings.

The airline signed a Strategic Partnering Charter agreement with Airservices Australia (AsA), the Government-owned provider for air traffic control and related airside services, to cultivate a close and cooperative relationship and to deliver greater operational efficiencies within Australian space and beyond.

This is Cathay Pacific's first Strategic Partnering Charter arrangement. It plans to sign similar accords with many other ATC providers across its global network. Such agreements could lead to the more effective use of airways, which would save significant costs by reducing aircraft fuel burn.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen recently signed the Charter with AsA Chief Executive Officer Greg Russell at a ceremony in Hong Kong.

Mr Chen said: "As the world's leading airline, we recognise the importance of fostering a close relationship and open communication with our ATC providers. The partnership goes beyond the standard supplier-user relationship and recognises that a collaborative, coordinated approach to optimising the capacity of airways system offers the best opportunity for significant mutual gains."

Mr Russell said that "we well recognise that organisations like Airservices can play a major role to help reduce fuel usage. Today, this represents a very substantial cost to airline operators. I welcome this partnership agreement which will facilitate an even closer working relationship between Cathay Pacific aircrews and Australian air traffic controllers and will lead to improved efficiency and a reduction in fuel usage."

He added: "Airservices Australia has now been awarded IATA's prestigious Eagle Award on two occasions in the last few years, for initiatives like these. The world aviation industry is facing a range of significant challenges and air traffic service providers need to play a more proactive role in helping our airline customers to reduce their costs."

In addition to the development of a communication protocol between Cathay Pacific and AsA, both parties will also implement an operational awareness programme in which regular exchanges will be arranged for Cathay Pacific flight crew to visit AsA technical facilities, and AsA ATC staff to undertake flight deck familiarization travel and visit Cathay Pacific operational facilities in Hong Kong.

Mr Chen added: "Air traffic controllers and flight crew depend upon each other. There are few opportunities for the development of a full appreciation of each other's jobs, including competing operational and commercial demands and considerations which can impact on their working relationship. A better appreciation by pilots and controllers of each other's operational environment can only help to improve the safe, efficient and effective operation of the Australian Air Traffic Management system."

Terrence

December 6th, 2005, 04:36 PM

Cathay Pacific announces service to Moscow and Manchester

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced it will, pending final government approvals, make history again as the first Hong Kong airline flying to Russia with the launch of a three-times-weekly service to Moscow, starting 27 March 2006.

From Moscow, Cathay Pacific’s service will continue onwards to Manchester, England. Cathay Pacific will be the only airline to offer a direct passenger service to Manchester from Hong Kong.

The announcement came a week after the airline placed its biggest ever order for new aircraft in order to add flights and new destinations.

The Moscow service will extend an existing codeshare agreement with Aeroflot - Russian Airlines, while the Manchester service marks a resumption of Cathay Pacific passenger flights to the city, which traditionally has strong ties with Hong Kong. The route will be operated with an Airbus A340-300.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: “Cathay Pacific’s new Moscow and Manchester service adds yet another spoke to the Hong Kong hub. It strengthens the city’s ties to Europe and reinforces its position as the gateway to the Chinese Mainland. “

Mr Chen added: “Moscow is an exciting destination and our new service will offer Hong Kong passengers more choices and greater travel convenience to this great capital. With three new services to Manchester, we will operate an unmatched 31 flights every week from Hong Kong to the UK.”

Both the Moscow and Manchester services are expected to generate new hub traffic to and from Australia, New Zealand and around the region. Hong Kong’s gateway position will appeal to Russian businesses forging closer trade ties within the Pearl River Delta.

Cathay Pacific has operated codeshare flights to Moscow with Aeroflot since June 2004. Aeroflot currently operates the service with Boeing 767 aircraft. All services operated by both airlines will carry Aeroflot's "SU" and Cathay Pacific's "CX" prefixes.

Cathay Pacific last week announced its biggest ever order for new aircraft to grow its fleet and network. The airline made commitments for 16 advanced wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with purchase rights for 20 more. It also made commitments to acquire three Airbus A330-300s to operate regional routes.

Cathay Pacific currently operates 54 passenger services to five cities in Europe each week. It operates four flights a day to London, plus daily services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and five weekly flights to Rome. The airline serves 92 destinations world-wide.

Full schedule

Schedule of Cathay Pacific operated services

Flight number

CX237 Hong Kong-Moscow 00:15 / 06:25 Mon, Thu, Sat
CX237 Moscow-Manchester 07:50 / 08:55 Mon, Thu, Sat
CX236 Manchester-Moscow 10:00 / 16:55 Mon, Thu, Sat
CX236 Moscow-Hong Kong 18:40 / 08:10 +1 Mon, Thu, Sat

Terrence

December 6th, 2005, 06:21 PM

I also heard that Cathay Pacific is considering whether or not launching the new service to Mexico City.

hkskyline

December 6th, 2005, 08:39 PM

06 December 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific announces service to Moscow and Manchester

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced it will, pending final government approvals, make history again as the first Hong Kong airline flying to Russia with the launch of a three-times-weekly service to Moscow, starting 27 March 2006.

From Moscow, Cathay Pacific’s service will continue onwards to Manchester, England. Cathay Pacific will be the only airline to offer a direct passenger service to Manchester from Hong Kong.

The announcement came a week after the airline placed its biggest ever order for new aircraft in order to add flights and new destinations.

The Moscow service will extend an existing codeshare agreement with Aeroflot - Russian Airlines, while the Manchester service marks a resumption of Cathay Pacific passenger flights to the city, which traditionally has strong ties with Hong Kong. The route will be operated with an Airbus A340-300.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: “Cathay Pacific’s new Moscow and Manchester service adds yet another spoke to the Hong Kong hub. It strengthens the city’s ties to Europe and reinforces its position as the gateway to the Chinese Mainland. “

Mr Chen added: “Moscow is an exciting destination and our new service will offer Hong Kong passengers more choices and greater travel convenience to this great capital. With three new services to Manchester, we will operate an unmatched 31 flights every week from Hong Kong to the UK.”

Both the Moscow and Manchester services are expected to generate new hub traffic to and from Australia, New Zealand and around the region. Hong Kong’s gateway position will appeal to Russian businesses forging closer trade ties within the Pearl River Delta.

Cathay Pacific has operated codeshare flights to Moscow with Aeroflot since June 2004. Aeroflot currently operates the service with Boeing 767 aircraft. All services operated by both airlines will carry Aeroflot's "SU" and Cathay Pacific's "CX" prefixes.

Cathay Pacific last week announced its biggest ever order for new aircraft to grow its fleet and network. The airline made commitments for 16 advanced wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with purchase rights for 20 more. It also made commitments to acquire three Airbus A330-300s to operate regional routes.

Cathay Pacific currently operates 54 passenger services to five cities in Europe each week. It operates four flights a day to London, plus daily services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and five weekly flights to Rome. The airline serves 92 destinations world-wide.

cheunger

December 7th, 2005, 02:32 PM

Cathay Pacific to strengthen Europe connections with daily service to Rome

07 December 2005

Cathay Pacific to strengthen Europe connections with daily service to Rome

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced it will further strengthen Hong Kong’s connections to Europe with a daily service to Rome, starting 27 March 2006.
A daily service, increased from the current five flights a week, will provide passengers greater flexibility for travel between Italy, Hong Kong and connecting points in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The airline this week also announced the launch of two other new services to Europe – to Moscow and Manchester, England, which will start 27 March 2006. It will be the first time Cathay Pacific has ever flown to Russia, and the airline will offer the only direct service to Manchester.
The new services follow Cathay Pacific’s biggest order for new aircraft, intended to increase the frequency of flights, connections and add new destinations from its Hong Kong hub. The airline ordered 16 Boeing 777-300ER long-range jets, with purchase rights for 20 more, plus three Airbus A330-300s for regional routes.
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: “Cathay Pacific offers more flights to Europe from Hong Kong than any other airline, and the only service to Italy. The addition of more Cathay Pacific services makes travelling via Hong Kong a far more attractive proposition to passengers and multiplies the airport’s strength as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland.”
Cathay Pacific currently operates 54 passenger services to five cities in Europe each week. It operates four flights a day to London, plus daily services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and five weekly flights to Rome. The airline serves 92 destinations world-wide.

Full Rome schedule. New services in BOLD ITALIC
Flight number From Destination Departure / Arrival (Local Time) Days of operation
CX293 Hong Kong Rome 00:05 / 07:30 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun
CX292 Rome Hong Kong 12:50 / 06:35 +1 Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun

Terrence

December 7th, 2005, 05:36 PM

hkskyline

December 7th, 2005, 06:05 PM

Oasis should come into the picture next year with flights to Milan.

Terrence

December 7th, 2005, 08:28 PM

I don't know why don't HK carriers operate a service to Seattle, Copenhagen and Vienna. I think those routes should be viable and profitable, but it's just my rough guess.

vincent

December 7th, 2005, 11:41 PM

I don't know why don't HK carriers operate a service to Seattle, Copenhagen and Vienna. I think those routes should be viable and profitable, but it's just my rough guess.
it takes negotiation between government to get the service rights. It is not that easy.

Terrence

December 8th, 2005, 09:29 AM

it takes negotiation between government to get the service rights. It is not that easy.
oic

deej

December 8th, 2005, 12:08 PM

I don't know why don't HK carriers operate a service to Seattle, Copenhagen and Vienna. I think those routes should be viable and profitable, but it's just my rough guess.

If I recall correctly, Cathay already has pretty broad rights to fly to US gateways. I also remember a number of years ago, United used to fly to HK from Seattle, but the service was since terminated.

I'm not sure CX would want to fly to Seattle, when Vancouver is so close by (and with a much larger Asian population).

Terrence

December 8th, 2005, 04:30 PM

If I recall correctly, Cathay already has pretty broad rights to fly to US gateways. I also remember a number of years ago, United used to fly to HK from Seattle, but the service was since terminated.

I'm not sure CX would want to fly to Seattle, when Vancouver is so close by (and with a much larger Asian population).

I also remember UA used to fly to Seattle, but the service was terminated in 90s. Hopefully, more and more new routes will be launched.

hkskyline

December 10th, 2005, 12:12 AM

South China Morning Post
December 9, 2005
Cathay opts for express route on cargo ambitions
Russell Barling

Conventional wisdom is that if you want to get a message out into the market, advertising is the best medium.

Cathay Pacific Airways proved that in spades on Wednesday when it ran three personnel advertisements in the South China Morning Post looking for managers with expertise in cargo terminal planning, projects, and engineering.

The airline obviously wants to build its expertise in that area but what other messages it may have wanted to convey with such a public courtship of talent remain a mystery. Whatever the message, it will not have been welcomed at Chek Lap Kok, where the Airport Authority would have preferred Cathay not to make its intentions public just yet.

For one, the operators - Asia Airfreight Terminals (AAT) and Hongkong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd (Hactl) - will query the need for added competition when their terminals remain well short of future handling capacities.

Below Deck imagines AAT would be particularly unimpressed given that only last year it agreed to spend $1.75 billion to roughly triple the amount of cargo it can handle each year. Phase II will not be ready until 2007.

For Hactl, the loss of Cathay would strip away 33 per cent of its volumes - 50 per cent if Cathay took Dragonair with it. The company has a clause in its operating contract that restricts the authority from commissioning a rival general cargo facility at the airport until it reaches 75 per cent of its handling capacity.

Management will tell you that SuperTerminal One can handle 3.5 million tonnes of cargo a year but the authority recognises only the 2.6 million tonnes in the original franchise agreement, meaning Hactl has already passed the trigger mechanism that allows for more competition. AAT has a similar clause.

Cathay believes the expansion of its cargo volumes and fleet in the past few years has gained enough critical mass to warrant a self-handling facility. It will carry just shy of 1.1 million tonnes this year, up about 14 per cent on last year, and it has a fleet of six new jumbo freighters being converted at its sister facility in Xiamen.

In its recent application to the authority, Cathay outlined a self-handling facility capable of handling two million tonnes of cargo a year, to be operational by 2009. It apparently began discussions with the authority on the project in March.

Hactl, too, was apprised of its intentions when Cathay approached it to build and operate the terminal. But they failed to come to an agreement, largely because of significantly divergent cargo forecasts - Hactl believing the boom of trans-shipment at the airport and the inevitable diversion of freight to airports in Guangdong will amount to growth of about 4 per cent a year, while Cathay projects its freight business to grow about 10 per cent for the next few years.

Their inability to come to terms is not surprising. If you are the bearish Hactl, you do not agree to add capacity when you are nowhere near your functional cargo handling limit and agreement would see you lose your biggest customer.

An independent estimate predicts volumes will reach 6.9 million tonnes by 2020, a compound annual growth rate of only about 5 per cent.

The authority is said to be preparing to seek additional information from Cathay.

A contentious issue will be the definition of "self-handling". Will that apply to just Cathay's cargo or will it also apply to the freight from associate firms such as Dragonair and Air China?

Hans Bakker, the AA's chief commercial officer, would not clarify its policy on that matter yesterday, leaving open the door to a direct award to Cathay.

hkskyline

December 10th, 2005, 04:39 AM

Sky is the limit for cadet training programme
10 December 2005
South China Morning Post

CATHAY PACIFIC AIRWAYS is recruiting young people for the Cadet Pilot Programme which could eventually lead to posts as commercial airline pilots.

"Cadets who perform to the required standard throughout the Cadet Pilot Programme will be offered employment with the company," said Claire Delaney, flight crew recruitment manager. The training is provided at Cathay's expense.

On completion of the course, cadets will have logged about 220 flying hours, obtained a Hong Kong Commercial Pilots Licence and a frozen Hong Kong Airline Transport Pilots Licence.

"To succeed in the Cadet Pilot Programme, you must have a genuine interest in flying, sharp judgment, excellent leadership and strong teamwork skills," Ms Delaney said.

The course is demanding, as standards are high and about 85 per cent complete it.

Although it will be an intense period, there are highlights to work towards, according to the recruitment manager. "The first solo flight is a moment each cadet remembers, along with completing his or her final examination and, of course, graduation."

The workload is constant and time management is often the biggest challenge as cadets are required to study aviation theory and apply this during flight training.

Suitable candidates should be interested not only in flying, but also in the technicalities of flying safely. "Subjects studied include meteorology, navigation, flight planning and instruments, aerodynamics, principles of flight, radio aids, aviation law, human performance, loading, airframe systems {hellip} to name a few," Ms Delaney said.

Applicants must be at least 18 years old, Hong Kong permanent residents with excellent spoken and written English.

Five passes on HKCEE, including physics and mathematics, plus two passes in HKALE or a degree in any discipline are required.

Full board is provided at Flight Training Adelaide, Parafield Airport, Adelaide, South Australia.

hkskyline

December 10th, 2005, 06:47 PM

Turnbull: I was unhappy with my job
Chairman of Swire and Cathay Pacific explains why he quit
10 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Unhappiness about the non-operating nature of his dual role as chairman at both Swire Pacific and Cathay Pacific Airways was the reason behind David Turnbull's surprise decision to quit after just 11 months at the policy helm of the sprawling conglomerate and its airline subsidiary.

Breaking his silence on the unexpected move announced on November 24, Mr Turnbull yesterday said with characteristic frankness that he did not enjoy his stint as the No1 executive at one of the oldest former British "hongs".

He said his tenure as chairman would have been happier if he had been able to take on a more active operational role.

Mr Turnbull rejected speculation that his resignation was due to soured relationships with the rest of Swire's management team and pointed out he would remain as non-executive chairman at one of the group's subsidiaries, Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering, the company he "loved most" apart from Cathay, for "a couple of years".

He is the first Swire chairman to resign from the company and served the shortest term.

"I thought about it for a couple of months and decided it very quickly," he said of his resignation, which will take effect at the end of next month.

"When you are a chairman, you are supervising the job. It is [Cathay chief executive] Philip Chen who operates CX (the airline code for Cathay), not me," he said, adding he found greatest job satisfaction from making operational decisions.

"My relationship with Swire's management is absolutely fine and the fact it didn't say thanks on the press release doesn't mean it's not thankful for my contribution," he said.

The remark was in response to media speculation of a rift because of the absence of an _expression of thanks in the press release announcing that he would step down.

Mr Turnbull added that during his eight-year stint as Cathay managing director, he had much satisfaction in navigating Swire's flagship carrier through several crises, such as the Asia financial turmoil, the September 11 terrorist attacks, industrial actions and the Sars outbreak.

Mr Turnbull was known for his iron-handed management style during a long stand-off between Cathay's management and its cabin crew unions which resulted in the sacking of 51 pilots who refused to accept new work conditions.

However, he won kudos for reacting promptly to the Sars challenge by asking Cathay staff members to take unpaid leave and grounding some idle aircraft in Australia to reduce costs.

"Overcoming the Sars challenge gave me the greatest job satisfaction," he said.

Asked what his immediate plans were, British-born Mr Turnbull, who carries an Australian passport, said he might stay in Hong Kong for a while or head for Australia, where he worked for some years.

"I am quite good at doing nothing," he quipped.

Mr Turnbull had a brief word of advice for his successor, Christopher Pratt, a career manager who has spent 27 years with Swire.

"Enjoy," he said.

hkskyline

December 13th, 2005, 12:23 AM

12 December 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific releases November 2005 traffic figures

Cathay Pacific today released traffic figures for November 2005 that show a double-digit increase in the number of flights in the past year underpinning steady passenger and cargo growth.

The airline carried 1,283,169 passengers in November, an 8.1 percent increase on the same month last year, and 100,130 tonnes of cargo, a 15.2 percent rise. Passenger growth was slightly below a corresponding 9.7 percent increase in capacity, measured in terms of Available Seat Kilometres. Cargo tonnage was again boosted by transhipment cargo to and from Shanghai.

Last month Cathay Pacific operated 2,878 flights, a 10.7 percent increase year-on-year. The airline has in the past year expanded its fleet and strengthened its network. Eight additional aircraft entered service with Cathay Pacific in 2005.

In November, a new three-times-weekly freighter service was launched to Dallas and Atlanta in the United States. Passenger services to Europe were strengthened with the announcement of a daily service to Rome, plus a new service to Moscow and Manchester. All will start 27 March 2006.

Cathay Pacific also announced its biggest-ever new aircraft acquisition with orders for 16 long-haul Boeing 777-300ER and purchase rights on 20 more, plus three Airbus A330-300s for regional services. The airline will have 100 aircraft in 2006, its 60th Anniversary.

November’s figures also show the passenger load factor was 76.3 percent, down 0.8 points year-on-year and the cargo load factor was 68.7 percent, almost unchanged from last year despite a corresponding 6.8 increase in capacity measured in terms of Available Cargo Tonne Kilometres.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said:
"Business was good in November, even though demand is usually softer ahead of the year-end holidays. Capacity has increased significantly from the same month last year with additional services to cities such as Amsterdam and Los Angeles. Yet revenue growth from an 8.1 percent increase in passenger numbers suffered continued downward pressure on yield. December looks set to be a strong month.”

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “Our new Dallas and Atlanta service got off to a very good start with full loads out of Hong Kong. The first flight was just 49 kilogrammes short of its maximum capacity. Still, the peak year-end period is attracting a lot of competitor capacity, depressing yield and making inbound flights to Hong Kong harder to fill. High fuel costs continue to weigh heavy on operations.”

zergcerebrates

December 13th, 2005, 12:45 AM

Still no sign of Cathay ordering A380's?

FM 2258

December 13th, 2005, 01:14 AM

Still no sign of Cathay ordering A380's?

It would be soooo nice to see the A380 in Cathay Pacific colors.

Kai Tak

December 13th, 2005, 01:39 AM

From ATW Daily News - Geoffrey Thomas 5/12/05:

Cathay Pacific Airways' love affair with the 747-400 is set to continue for "many years yet," according to COO Tony Tyler. Speaking to this website after the selection of the 777 (ATWOnline, Dec. 2), Tyler confirmed that the 777-300ERs ordered last Thursday will be used for "new services" that will include new destinations and increased frequencies. The longer-term 747 replacement for the heaviest routes at Cathay will pit the A380--which Airbus COO-Commercial John Leahy vows the airline will buy--against the born-again 747-8.

Stuck with 744s? And even CONSIDERING 748s to replace it?? :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

superchan7

December 13th, 2005, 04:43 AM

From ATW Daily News - Geoffrey Thomas 5/12/05:

Stuck with 744s? And even CONSIDERING 748s to replace it?? :ohno: :ohno: :ohno: :ohno:

Haha, are you saying this is a petty issue for a wealthy airline?

deej

December 13th, 2005, 06:25 AM

Well, some of CX's 744s ARE starting to show their age.

I can see them getting the A380 for some high density routes (eg HKG-LHR), but not just yet. Probably waiting to see if the A380 performs as advertised...

Kai Tak

December 13th, 2005, 06:46 AM

Haha, are you saying this is a petty issue for a wealthy airline?
It's a combination of that, plus I'm sick and tired of Brits and ex-Brits bowing to the almighty Boeing... then countering by saying "well we order Rolls-Royce engines most of the time." Bah humbug!

That said, I totally understand if Cathay goes all-out with 777s and 787s for their non-jumbo fleet, but the 747-8? The only reason not to choose the A380 is to be totally biased against anything Airbus.

But I think eventually they will order A380s to replace their 744s. Cathay's shown more willingness to go with Airbus over Boeing than say British Airways. Airbus needs to slap around that airline, bunch of silly people running it.

:)

superchan7

December 13th, 2005, 07:00 AM

They do have three coveted A340-600 jets in service...that's quite unique. While I do think the 346 is mighty sexy, the B777-300 has a significantly larger fuselage aiding in practicality.

hkskyline

December 14th, 2005, 04:15 AM

Flying the colours - Cathay Pacific Airways is proud of its home base and determined to meet the challenge of rising fuel costs
12 December 2005
South China Morning Post

In Cathay City, headquarters of Cathay Pacific Airways, a four-letter word is having a profound impact on everything in relation to the company's prospects for the financial year - fuel.

The cost of oil has rocketed from US$46 a barrel in the first six months of last year to US$65 a barrel this year and, according to chairman David Turnbull in the airline's 2005 interim report, fuel now accounts for 27.9 per cent of total net operating costs.

Last year, fuel costs were just 21.8 per cent of total net operating costs.

Mr Turnbull warns in the interim report: "The high fuel price at present shows no sign of correction and our reduced hedging further exposes us to higher costs should the trend continue."

Chief executive Philip Chen Nan-lok is under no illusions about the potential difficulties ahead if fuel prices continue to rise. "It is challenging, to put it mildly," he said.

"It has been a year of high fuel costs, which is affecting the bottom line. Demand has been very good. Passenger loads and cargo loads are still very high. But the point is our profitability as we have been announcing has come down drastically because of the fuel prices.

"In the longer run, if it goes on it is not only the airline that will suffer. It will impact on the economy. That impact is international."

Although high fuel prices are a challenge for every airline, the international aviation market is not a level playing field.

While airlines overseas are helped along by subsidies and bailouts, Cathay has never gone cap in hand to the government. The 2001 terror attacks in the US represented a major disaster for the international aviation industry, Mr Chen said. But while many airlines were propped up by their governments, Cathay rode out the storm alone.

"This is not an industry that is really free or fair," he said.

He believes in the survival of the fittest and said of the bail-outs and subsidies provided in the wake of the 2001 attacks: "What sense does that make? We don't need 400 airlines in the world. Many of them should come down. Why do governments prop them up?"

The success of Cathay Pacific in its continuing unaided expansion is put into sharper focus when you compare its lack of advantages with those of some of its international competitors.

"Compared with other carriers, Cathay has a very small market share of Hong Kong," Mr Chen said. "If you look at San Francisco, United Airlines has 57 per cent of all the takeoffs at San Francisco airport. British Airways has over 40 per cent of takeoffs at Heathrow. We have 25 per cent.

"We are in no way dominating or controlling at our home airport. If you think about it, if you want to go to Bangkok from Hong Kong, how many airlines can you choose from? Fourteen. How many flights to London? About nine, and those are the direct flights.

"Hong Kong is a very small home base. The cost of operations in Hong Kong is not cheap {hellip} Because the market is so open and liberal, the pressure on yields is extremely challenging.

"We make 46 cents a kilometre, including first class. Years ago it was about 60 cents. Air fares keep coming down. Yields continue to come down," he said.

The success of Cathay Pacific and the success of Hong Kong are closely linked, however, in a way that Mr Chen suggests that many people in the territory do not fully grasp. The opportunities ahead if that success is achieved are also enticing in a way that people do not always appreciate.

Mr Chen has a vision for the future of Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong that extends way beyond the difficulties of rising fuel costs and looks instead to China's Xian empire of 1,000 years ago and the Rome of 2,000 years ago.

"What is the secret formula for a great city?" Mr Chen asked. "Everyone says 'Look at the pollution, look at the population policy'. My submission is that to be a great city you have to be a transport centre. Two thousand years ago, all roads led to Rome. Do you remember anything about their environment policy or their population policy? No.

"To turn Hong Kong into a modern-day transport hub Cathay Pacific must expand and fully enhance itself as the hub carrier," he said.

Explaining the benefits of a thriving hub carrier, Mr Chen said: "Seventy per cent of our income is from overseas. In many ways you can say Cathay Pacific is the largest foreign revenue earner for Hong Kong.

"When you earn the revenue, you invest it in your home base. We would not build our head office anywhere other than Hong Kong. We employ a lot of people here and, of course, we attract foreign talent to Hong Kong. That helps the vibrancy of the city.

"More importantly it is also in our self-interest to promote tourism to Hong Kong. The airlines influence retailing as well. If you live in Australia and you want to go to Britain, you can buy a Cathay Pacific ticket and go via Hong Kong. Everyone gains from it. If you buy a Singapore Airlines ticket you do not go via Hong Kong.

"All these factors have multiple impacts on the economy. The airline is bringing in tourists and people travelling through Hong Kong. It is not just the airport that benefits but hotels and retailers as well.

"An airline is also in many ways an icon of your country or city overseas. It is very easy for people to remember. Think of the Philippines and Philippine Airways. We need to work together towards the objective of making Hong Kong an aviation centre. That way we can say that we are truly Asia's world city."

Next year, Cathay Pacific will mark its 60th anniversary. At around the same time it will take delivery of its 100th aircraft. At the time of the handover, the airline had just 59 aircraft in its fleet.

bs_lover_boy

December 14th, 2005, 12:00 PM

I think Cathay will rather buy 747 Advanced rather than A380. Sad, but yea!!!!

hkskyline

December 14th, 2005, 04:43 PM

Cathay Pac says to sign aircraft deal with Boeing

HONG KONG, Dec 14 (Reuters) - Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. said on Wednesday that it will sign an aircraft acquisition contract with Boeing following its announcement of a major fleet expansion earlier this month.

Trading in Cathay Pacific's shares was suspended on Wednesday afternoon, pending the contract signing statement, a spokeswoman told Reuters.

The Hong Kong flag-carrier announced two weeks ago that it would buy 12 wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with purchase rights for 20 more in its biggest-ever order.

Cathay also made commitments to lease four more 777-300ERs from the International Lease Finance Corp. arm of U.S. insurer American International Group Inc. and buy three Airbus A330-300s.

The Cathay spokeswoman would not disclose the price tag for the orders.

But the 12 Boeing 777-300ERs have a catalogue value of about $3 billion, although plane makers routinely offer discounts.

Shares of Cathay Pacific fell HK$0.05, or 0.38 percent, to HK$13.25 prior to the suspension.

hkskyline

December 15th, 2005, 02:29 AM

Cathay gets clearance for aircraft purchase
15 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways said yesterday it had received a written approval from its major shareholders - Swire Pacific and Citic Pacific - to buy 12 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for US$2.85 billion.

Cathay said the consideration would be payable in cash in six instalments, with the first five instalments to be paid before the delivery of each aircraft. The consideration was lower than Boeing's catalogue price.

Shares of Cathay were suspended from trading yesterday and will resume today.

hkskyline

December 15th, 2005, 07:24 PM

A Cathay 747 in the old livery.
Source : http://www.air-and-space.com/lax000106.htm

http://www.air-and-space.com/20000106%20LAX/747-45e%20b-hoz%20Cathay%20Pacific%20l.jpg

hkskyline

December 16th, 2005, 04:31 AM

Boeing, Cathay Pacific Airways Finalize Agreement for 777-300ERs
Boeing Press Release

SEATTLE, Dec. 15, 2005 -- The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] and Cathay Pacific Airways yesterday signed a definitive agreement for the purchase of 12 Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) jetliners and purchase rights for 20 additional 777-300ERs.

Cathay Pacific announced its intention to order the 12 aircraft, valued at approximately US$2.85 billion at list prices, earlier this month in Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific plans to take delivery of the new 777-300ERs between September 2007 and July 2010. The 777-300ERs will be powered by the General Electric GE 90-115BL2 engine, the world's largest and most powerful commercial jet engine. Separately, Cathay Pacific plans to lease four more 777-300ERs from International Lease Finance Corporation.

"This is one of the world's best airlines choosing one of the world's best airplanes," said Alan Mulally, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "Cathay Pacific's reputation for exceptional passenger service and effective and profitable operations makes its selection of the 777-300ER especially rewarding."

An initial launch customer of the Boeing 777-200 and later of the 777-300, Cathay Pacific has played a critical role in the program's success and especially in shaping the performance capabilities and comfort standards of the 777 twinjet family. The 777 fuselage cross-section finally adopted by Boeing during the aircraft's design phase was originally proposed by Cathay Pacific. The airline currently operates 16 777-200s and -300s for regional operations, and with this order the carrier has endorsed the 777 family as the standard of its ultra-long-haul service for the future.

"These aircraft orders mark an exciting and significant milestone in the development of our airline," said Philip Chen, chief executive officer, Cathay Pacific Airways. "These aircraft will enhance our strength as a carrier and Hong Kong's position as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland."

The 777 family of airplanes is popular with passengers and airlines alike due to its fuel-efficient twin-engine design, high reliability, low operating costs, and comfortable and spacious interior. The 777-300ER carries 365 passengers up to 7,880 nautical miles (14,594 kilometers).

Recently, Boeing made enhancements to the 777-300ER that improve the airplane's overall fuel efficiency by 1.4 percent. This amount is in addition to the 2 percent fuel-burn improvement already proven in revenue service by airlines that currently operate the 777-300ER. The 1.4 percent improvement in fuel efficiency equates to an annual savings of approximately 200,000 gallons (757,000 liters) per aircraft.

With today's signing, Boeing has secured 127 orders for the 777 in 2005. Over the life of the 777 program, 43 airlines worldwide have placed 800 firm orders for 777s.

hkskyline

December 17th, 2005, 05:10 PM

Cathay fires attendant over sick leave - Union unhappy at sacking under new monitoring system
13 December 2005
South China Morning Post

At least one Cathay Pacific flight attendant has been fired since the company's attendance monitoring system was revised in October.

The chairwoman of the airline's Flight Attendants Union (FAU), Becky Kwan Siu-wah, said a flight attendant was fired on November 18 because she had taken long periods of sick leave.

The woman, identified only as Ms Chan, took about 100 days of sick leave in 2004 because of a foot injury and had taken about 50 days of ad hoc sick leave since January this year.

On November 1 this year, she signed a consent form agreeing to be assessed under the programme, but she received a letter of termination 18 days later.

"It is unreasonable for Cathay to fire her because the company doctor said she was suitable for flying and she had already resumed her normal work duties for over a year," Ms Kwan said.

Under the programme, flight attendants who take long or frequent sick leave have to see their seniors and company doctors for assessment. They are also required to sign a letter authorising the disclosure of their medical records to the airline.

"We wrote letters to the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data last month because this clearly violates people's personal data privacy and discriminates against crew taking sick leave," Ms Kwan said.

"Both have responded saying the complainant should lodge a formal complaint themselves. It is unreasonable to ask the complainant to step out and be a scapegoat."

Equal Opportunities Commission spokeswoman Shirley Lung Suet-ying said that under the personal data (privacy) ordinance, a complaint must be lodged by the individual involved.

"We can conduct compliance checks but without a complaint by the individual it doesn't give us any power to investigate the matter. Our staff have already explained this to the FAU and we will contact them again to provide further assistance in this matter," Ms Lung said.

Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung Yuet-fong said the programme had been launched so the airline could find out why some people had high absence rates.

"We need to find out if they are seeing good doctors and whether we can help. Also, when people are always taking sick leave, we have to call for stand-by flight attendants, which {hellip} could cause disruption to the entire cabin crew," Ms Leung said.

hkskyline

December 18th, 2005, 07:16 AM

Cathay orders union to remove bulletin
18 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific has ordered its flight attendants' union to remove from public display a newsletter that says unhappy cabin crew have been considering a mass "sick-out" campaign over Christmas and the New Year.

The company's general manager for inflight services, Peter Langslow, has also used a Christmas letter to staff to attack the Flight Attendants' Union (FAU), accusing its leaders of attempting to "worry our customers and damage our excellent reputation".

The row has erupted after the FAU put out a newsletter to its 4,400 members saying crew members felt "angry, worried, harassed and threatened" over the company's revised attendance monitoring programme which can lead to sackings for excess sick leave.

The newsletter, signed by FAU leader Becky Kwan Siu-wa, said: "There is widespread unrest among the crews on this [programme] and many have suggested 'mass sick-out campaigns' during the festive season in order to demonstrate their dissatisfaction."

Sick-out campaigns have been used in the past during industrial disputes between Cathay pilots and management, and earlier this year by Dragonair flight attendants in an ongoing dispute over pay and conditions.

However, the FAU newsletter adds: "We state clearly that the FAU is not instigating industrial action in any form. We wish to maintain open and rational dialogue with the ISD [Inflight Services Department], albeit with tremendous difficulty."

Ms Kwan said the FAU received an e-mail from Richard Sell, the manager of cabin crew relations, ordering it to remove the newsletter from the lockable union notice board in the cabin crew lounge at Cathay City because it was "confrontational".

Ten months ago, Mr Sell instructed the union to remove newspaper cuttings from the same notice board ahead of a $350 million breach of contract case between Cathay Pacific and the FAU in the High Court which the union won.

"Asking us to remove things from the noticeboard is unacceptable and an infringement on our freedom of speech," Ms Kwan said.

In the same newsletter, FAU attacks Cathay for failing to hold year-end negotiations with the union this year. It has awarded a 13th-month bonus and honoured automatic pay-scale rises but awarded no end-of-year pay rises.

More than 1,000 FAU members have signed petition letters demanding pay talks with the company, Ms Kwan said, although Cathay claimed last week that cabin crew were happy with their deal and year-end bonus.

In his Christmas message to all 6,000 cabin crew, Mr Langslow says the implied threat of action in the FAU newsletter is "unconstructive particularly at a time of year when everyone in the airline, including cabin crew, is working hard to ensure our passengers can be reunited with friends and family for the Christmas holiday".

He writes that the FAU executive's actions "seem calculated to damage the company and its reputation and to sour relations between us". He says Cathay has good relations with all its unions "except the FAU".

Asked about the instruction to remove the newsletter from the union noticeboard, a Cathay spokeswoman said the FAU was allowed to use the notice board on company office premises only if the material was judged to be "in the interests and [for the] benefit of all staff".

hkskyline

December 19th, 2005, 04:23 PM

19 December 2005
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific the world’s first airline to take delivery of a new type of freighter aircraft

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051219%20BCF%20delivery_02.jpg
The B747-400BCF’s development and delivery is part of Cathay Pacific’s biggest ever investment to grow its fleet and network, and strengthen Hong Kong as a global aviation hub and premium gateway to the Chinese Mainland.

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051219%20BCF%20delivery_01.jpg
The world's first Boeing 747-400BCF, or Boeing Converted Freighter, is unveiled at a special "roll-out" ceremony today by Cathay Pacific Chairman David Turnbull (third from left) along with Vice President and General Manager Boeing Commercial Aviation Services Lou Mancini (third from left), and Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (TAECO) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chan Ping Kit (second from right).

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/20051219%20BCF%20delivery_03.jpg
Cathay Pacific Airways today became the world's first airline to take delivery of a brand new type of freighter aircraft converted from a Boeing 747-400 passenger jet at a special "roll-out" ceremony attended by more than 500 people in Xiamen, China.

The aircraft's development and delivery is part of Cathay Pacific's biggest ever investment to grow its fleet and network, and strengthen Hong Kong as a global aviation hub and premium gateway to the Chinese Mainland. The aircraft will enter service on 21 December to Penang and afterwards operating routes to Europe and North America.

The gala in Xiamen was hosted by Cathay Pacific Chairman David Turnbull along with Engineering Director Derek Cridland, Vice President and General Manager Boeing Commercial Aviation Services Lou Mancini, Boeing-China President David Wang, and Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Company Limited (TAECO) Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Chan Ping Kit.

The Boeing 747-400BCF, or Boeing Converted Freighter, was converted from a Cathay Pacific passenger aircraft. The airline has firm orders for six such aircraft, including this one, and options on six more. Creating freighters from existing aircraft makes economic sense and allows the airline to quickly grow its freighter capacity to meet market demand.

The aircraft's transformation took place at TAECO, in Xiamen, where today's ceremony was held. Major structural changes included removing all previous passenger fittings, installing a reinforced floor, cargo handling system and cutting a large loading door in the rear of the aircraft's fuselage.

Cathay Pacific assisted Boeing in the new aircraft type certification process that was conducted in Hong Kong. It was the first time Boeing certified a new aircraft outside of the United States. Conversion work started in April and took five months to complete. The certification programme started in September.

Cathay Pacific Engineering Director Derek Cridland said: "Cathay Pacific has an impressive record of being the first airline to operate new aircraft types. We were the world’s first airline to fly the Boeing 777-300 and the Rolls Royce powered Boeing 747-400, the type from which this new freighter has been converted. Our involvement in its certification underscores Hong Kong's position as a centre of global aviation excellence. The addition of further 747-400BCF aircraft to our fleet will allow us to expand our services and further strengthen Hong Kong as the world's busiest international air cargo hub."

"Our Boeing team is thrilled to deliver the first 747-400BCF to Cathay Pacific," said Lou Mancini, vice president and general manager for Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "I am proud of our Boeing employees who worked in partnership with TAECO to complete this well designed and expertly managed conversion."

TAECO Chairman and Chief Executive Officer PK Chan said: "TAECO is proud to work with Boeing on the 747-700BCF project. The conversion work on the world's first B747-400 aircraft for Cathay Pacific was completed on schedule with the close co-operation amongst Boeing, Cathay Pacific and TAECO. We hereby would like to thank our dedicated staff for their hard work day and night."

Last month Cathay Pacific expanded its freighter network with a new three-times-weekly freighter service to Dallas and Atlanta in the United States. It also announced its biggest-ever new aircraft acquisition with orders for 16 long-haul Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and purchase rights on 20 more. It also made commitments to acquire three Airbus A330-300s via operating leases for regional services. The airline will have 100 aircraft in 2006, its 60th Anniversary.

At the ceremony, TAECO, in which both Cathay Pacific and Boeing have shares, marked the opening of a fourth maintenance hangar commissioned specifically to convert further freighters.

hkskyline

December 20th, 2005, 05:11 PM

China's Taeco rolls out first Boeing 747 converted freighter - report
20 December 2005
Xinhua

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Co (Taeco) rolled out its first Boeing 747 freighter converted from a passenger plane yesterday for client Cathay Pacific Airways, with more such conversions seen due to growing cargo demand in China, the South China Morning Post reported.

The report said the company hopes conversions will boost its business by 25 pct.

Taeco has four hangars that can accommodate eight wide-bodied aircraft, and the construction of a fifth hangar should be completed in 2007, said chief executive Chan Ping-kit, according to the report.

Cathay Pacific, which is also a part-owner of Taeco, plans to convert five more 747-400 passenger jets into freighters as it switches much of its long-haul p[assenger fleet to new Boeing 777s, the report said.

Taeco plans to expand its conversion know-how to 767-300 aircraft and the company said that it was already negotiating with potential customers.

Taeco, founded in 1993 in Xiamen, is a consortium comprising major shareholder Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering along with Xiamen Aviation Industry, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Boeing Commercial Aeroplane Group and Beijing Kailan Aviation Technology Development & Service, a subsidiary of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

hkskyline

December 25th, 2005, 05:19 AM

Cabin crew fear sexual harassment if they must wake pilots
25 December 2005
South China Morning Post

Air stewardesses on long-haul Cathay Pacific flights have complained about being told to wake up sleeping pilots in their bunks, saying they may be put in embarrassing situations or subjected to sexual harassment.

Stewardesses on the new Airbus A340-600 have to go into a private cabin where a relief pilot is sleeping alone, sometimes naked, and shake him to wake him, the Flight Attendants' Union (FAU) says.

The union's chairwoman, Becky Kwan Siu-wa, said the practice had become an issue since the introduction of the long-range Airbus, which has sleeping quarters for cabin and cockpit crew.

Unlike other long-haul planes, the sleeping quarters on the three A340-600s in the Cathay fleet have a separate cabin with a closing door where one of the four pilots on duty will rest, usually alone.

"We have to enter the room, and if you don't want to wake other people up in the sleeping quarters outside, you have to be very quiet. You have to be very gentle and really physically touch the person to wake them up," said Ms Kwan. "Some people have the habit of sleeping naked and sometimes they might wake up [if a stewardess comes in] and say 'oh, my lucky dream'.

"It is dark and a person is sleeping by himself or herself, because we also have women pilots. We could also have people with different sexual preferences. If you send a male steward down to a male pilot you might also have a problem.

"No individual is comfortable enough to go into a dark room and wake someone up. You have to have physical contact to wake someone up when they are fast asleep. Most people do sleep naked if they are by themselves in a room in the dark."

Flight attendants have taken their complaint to management. The union has asked for the practice to stop and for pilots to be told to use wristwatch alarms to wake themselves, but Cathay refused the demand.

Ms Kwan said the issue was first raised more than a year ago when flight operations management gave a vague promise that cabin crew would not be sent to wake sleeping pilots.

A Cathay spokeswoman said alternatives of using an alarm clock or a tannoy-style announcement were impractical as they would wake other crew sleeping in the same rest area.

"Out of consideration for the other crew, it can be preferable for cabin crew to wake the cockpit crew," she said.

"Cockpit crew may have different rest periods to cabin crew and therefore have different body-clock rest requirements."

She said: "We have not had any reported cases of embarrassment or harassment by cockpit or cabin crew in the crew rest area."

hkskyline

January 1st, 2006, 10:24 AM

國泰客機起落架故障折返
12月 31日星期六 23:10 更新
明報

國泰航空一班由本港飛往馬尼拉的客機，晚上起飛後十分鐘發現起落架有故障折返，搭客安全。

起落架故障的班機在晚上約八時起飛，但起落架未能收起，機師通知本港機場控制塔折返，二十分鐘後安全降落。班機載有３０５名乘客，他們獲國泰安排改搭另一班機，繼續航程。

Andrex

January 2nd, 2006, 03:43 AM

I think Cathay will rather buy 747 Advanced rather than A380. Sad, but yea!!!!
CX will wait to see how the A-380 performs with the first operators such as SQ, AF, QF and LH. If outcome is OK, then CX could need a few A380 for the LHR and LAX route, for instance.

Terrence

January 2nd, 2006, 08:30 PM

Cathay plans new-generation jets

Alman Loong

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's biggest carrier, plans to purchase medium-sized aircraft like the Boeing 787 and the Airbus 350 to serve longer routes in North America and Europe starting in 2009.
A company source said that at a senior management conference held last month to discuss plans for 2006-08, director of corporate development Augustus Tang said there is potential to acquire new "long, thin" routes to the United States and Europe with new- generation B787s and A350s.

The list price of the B787, which ranges in size from 250 to 300 seats, is US$136 million (HK$1.06 billion). The rival A350 is somewhat cheaper.

Cathay Pacific recently ordered 19 new aircraft - mostly Boeing 777ERs - for delivery between 2007 and mid- 2010.

The airline expects to have 125 planes in its fleet by 2010, compared to 100 now, Tang was quoted as saying.

The airline also wants to position itself as Asia's No 1 combined passenger and cargo carrier by acquiring new freighters, including Boeing's 744-8 and B777F and Airbus' 380F, after 2009. Cathay has also said it plans to open its own cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay is under growing pricing pressure on some of its key routes, including Britain, Germany and Australia.

Prices to Sydney have fallen since Virgin Atlantic and Emirates began competing aggressively on the route. The source said Cathay chief executive Philip Chen told the same meeting of senior staff that the airline is keeping a close eye on developments at Hong Kong-based CR Airways. The fledgling carrier, in which Hainan Airlines plans to take a 70 percent stake, has announced that it intends to purchase up to 40 new Boeing aircraft.

Cathay also faces potential competition from budget carrier Oasis Airlines, which expects to enter the market later this year with Hong Kong-Europe return flights as cheap as HK$3,000.

Tang was quoted as saying that Cathay plans to reduce costs to HK$1.80 per air ton-kilometer this year. In 2003, the company reduced costs to HK$2 per ATK, but they rebounded to HK$2.07 per ATK in 2005 because of high fuel prices.

He said the airline will adopt rigorous cost-cutting measures, including renegotiation of supplier contracts and outsourcing and offshore relocation of maintenance work.

Tang said the company expects its decision to operate call centers in China and India will save 50 percent on the costs of those operations.

hkskyline

January 8th, 2006, 01:28 AM

By marcuslai from HKADB :

CX 747 First Class Cabin
http://hkadb.no-ip.org/hkadb/forum/files/20060101_1.jpg

cheunger

January 10th, 2006, 06:58 PM

10 January 2006

CATHAY PACIFIC RELEASES DECEMBER 2005 TRAFFIC FIGURES

Cathay Pacific today released traffic figures for December and cumulative figures for the whole year that show new passenger and cargo records were achieved in 2005 on the back of continued investment in aircraft and network expansion.

The airline in December carried 1,411,884 passengers, a 10.9 percent increase over the same month the previous year, and 104,994 tonnes of cargo, up 26.3 percent. The peak year-end holiday season lifted the passenger load factor to a high 80.2 percent, up 1.2 percentage points from December the previous year with traditional high demand to Europe, South Pacific, the UK and the Philippines.

December’s cargo load factor was 68.5 percent, up only 0.3 points from a year ago. This reflected both the availability of greater capacity and directional imbalances of trade. Freighters departing Hong Kong full often return from Europe, North America and Australia with much lighter loads.

Figures for the full year show that passenger and cargo growth kept ahead of corresponding increases in capacity – an indication that Cathay Pacific remained very competitive against other carriers.

The airline carried a record 15,438,243 passengers in 2005, a 13.0 percent increase over 2004 – itself a record year. The passenger load factor in 2005 gained 1.7 points to 78.7 percent. The volume of cargo carried increased 15.0 percent to 1,118,047 tonnes, another annual record. The cargo load factor for the year dipped 1.7 points to 67.0 percent.

Meanwhile, passenger capacity measured in terms of available seat kilometres, or ASKs, increased 11.8 percent over the same period as seven passenger aircraft joined the fleet, enabling more flights. A third daily service was added to Los Angeles, a fourth to London and additional flights were launched to Amsterdam, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Jakarta, Johannesburg, Nagoya, Perth, Singapore and Xiamen.

Two freighters joined the airline’s fleet during the course of the year, including last month’s delivery of the world’s first freighter converted from a Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft. A brand new freighter service was launched to Dallas and Atlanta. This contributed to a 12.9 percent increase in cargo capacity, measured in terms of available cargo/mail tonne kilometres.

Cathay Pacific’s fleet will total 100 aircraft in 2006, its 60th Anniversary year. Pressing ahead with future growth, the airline in December announced its biggest-ever acquisition of new aircraft with orders for 16 long-haul Boeing 777-300ERs and purchase rights on 20 more, plus three Airbus A330-300s for regional services.

This coming Chinese New Year Cathay Pacific will operate an additional 68 pairs of flights to meet peak demand. Extra services and charters will operate to Taipei, Sapporo, Seoul, Bangkok, Osaka, Langkawi and Pusan. The airline operated 52 additional pairs of flights during last year’s Lunar New Year.
Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said: "It was a good December and a successful 2005, even though high fuel prices took the shine a strong all-round performance. Growth in 2005 was demand-led with strong support in both the front and back end. The strength of our network sustained all our new services introduced through the year. December flights were very full even though Christmas and the Chinese New Year holiday fall within a month of each other. Yet with even more extra flights planned than last year, the Chinese New Year is shaping up to be very busy for us as well.”

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “We finished the year with a strong December. The carriage of mail also made a significant contribution for the year. High demand for shipments out of Hong Kong continued to contrast sharply in December, as it has all year, with a much weaker in-bound market made worse by an abundance of competitor and charter capacity to and from Europe and North America.”

hkskyline

January 10th, 2006, 11:52 PM

Fuel prices likely to erode Cathay earnings
Officials still cautious even after carrier transported record number of passengers and cargo last year
11 January 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways transported a record number of passengers and cargo last year but consistently high second-half fuel prices appear destined to dilute the carrier's earnings for the year.

Hong Kong's top airline easily eclipsed 2004's record for passengers carried, moving 15.4 million leisure and business travellers across its global network, up 13 per cent.

"It was a successful year even though high fuel prices took the shine off a strong all-round performance," Ian Shiu, general manager for revenue management, sales and distribution, said in a statement yesterday.

The average price for a barrel of jet fuel reached US$72.68 in the second half, up 15.4 per cent on the previous six months, during which Cathay saw interim earnings fall a comparative 5.7 per cent to $1.67 billion.

Even with the Lunar New Year "shaping up to be very busy", according to Mr Shiu, top management is cautious about the year ahead.

Chief executive Philip Chen Nan-lok urged Cathay staff to "fight for every market" this year at the company's management conference last month.

"It will not be an easy ride. The already competitive environment in which we operate is set to intensify," he said in the airline's in-house magazine CX World. "[Profit] margins are already being eroded and that means we have to work aggressively to meet cost and productivity targets."

Cathay's cargo volumes, boosted by new freighter services to Shanghai, Dallas and Atlanta last year, also reached new a high; it moved 1.12 million tonnes, 15 per cent higher than the year before.

Its performance last month was typical of a year in which sales were buoyant, but in which little, if any, of the added revenue was expected to trickle down to the bottom line: Cathay carried 10.9 per cent more passengers and 26.3 per cent more cargo for the month than it did the year before.

"Cathay ended last year on a firm note. The airline was helped by a strong revenue environment all year," said Peter Negline, head of regional transport research for JP Morgan. The problem is that high fuel prices, compounded by inadequate fuel hedging, should prevent any bottom line growth. Margin compression remains a concern."

Mr Negline projected Cathay's earnings to fall to $4 billion for 2005, down 10 per cent on the previous year's performance.

And experts such as Brian Pearce, the chief economist for the International Air Transport Association (Iata), expect fuel to remain the industry's Achilles heel this year. We are looking for only a very gradual decline in oil prices this year," Mr Pearce told journalists at Iata's global press briefing in Geneva last month. "We have seen two years of very strong revenue growth, but that is starting to slow. The industry is certainly past its peak."

hkskyline

January 11th, 2006, 04:33 PM

11 January 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific sponsors International Chinese New Year Night Parade during its 60th Anniversary year

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that it is proud to be the sponsor of this year’s Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade, welcoming the Year of the Dog on Sunday, 29 January 2006. The airline has sponsored the parade for many years. It has become a family tradition in Hong Kong as well as a major attraction for visitors from overseas.

The auspicious spectacle will also be the first big celebration to mark Cathay Pacific’s 60th Anniversary year of serving Hong Kong, and signals the start of a series of events highlighting the airline’s past – and future – commitment to the city.

Cathay Pacific’s float, which leads the parade, will have an Anniversary flavour with models of aircraft from the airline’s past and present fleet. Cabin crew accompanying the float will wear vintage uniforms from Cathay Pacific’s past, reviving memories of six decades of service excellence.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: "Sixty years of uninterrupted Cathay Pacific investment in Hong Kong has strengthened Hong Kong as a global aviation hub, helped to build up Hong Kong as Asia's world city and brought in tourism and investment. Our investment continues to grow and we will continue to employ more people, add more aircraft and introduce new destinations."

Mr Chen added: "We are delighted to begin Cathay Pacific's 60th anniversary year with the International Chinese New Year Parade. It is a truly world-class spectacle and an annual highlight for Hong Kong families and tourists alike."

A splash of Anniversary colour will accent Hong Kong’s two other major events of the year – the Rugby Sevens and Hong Kong International Races – both of which are sponsored by Cathay Pacific. Other Anniversary events are planned.

hkskyline

January 12th, 2006, 12:08 AM

Cathay eyes Shanghai flight rights

Cathay Pacific Airways said it hopes to gain approval from China's civil aviation regulator to fly to Shanghai this year.

Alman Loong
Hong Kong Standard
Thursday, January 12, 2006

If approval is forthcoming at annual air service talks between the SAR government and Chinese authorities scheduled for this quarter, it will be the third mainland destination opened to Cathay since a decade-long suspension was lifted in 2003.

Cathay chief executive Philip Chen said Wednesday the company hopes to reopen the Hong Kong-Shanghai route this year, without elaborating further.

Cathay Pacific won approval from mainland authorities to fly to Xiamen in 2005 and Beijing in 2003.

"We have no idea about when the meeting [for China-Hong Kong air talks] will be held," said Ian Callendar, general manager of Cathay Pacific's international affairs department.

Callendar said Cathay Pacific hopes to tap an important hub like Shanghai so it can handle passenger traffic on its own instead of passing them to its partners such as China Eastern Airlines.

The carrier halted flights to China in 1991 as the result of an understanding between Hong Kong and China that only one local airline could fly China routes. Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, Cathay Pacific's smaller rival, was the chosen carrier.

The understanding was scrapped in 2003 and Hong Kong's Air Transport Licensing Authority (ATLA) allowed Cathay Pacific to resume flights to the mainland.

The airline initially planned to run four return flights a day to Shanghai, three to Beijing, and one to Xiamen.

ATLA limited it to three daily round-trip services to both Shanghai and Beijing and three weekly round-trip flights to Xiamen. Now all that is required to cement the Xiamen service is mainland approval.

Cathay Pacific earlier estimated that the three mainland routes could boost its passenger numbers by 420,000 a year. Dragonair earlier warned that it would "suffer financial devastation" when Cathay resumed mainland flights. China Eastern Airlines also said the move would narrow its profit margin.

hkskyline

January 12th, 2006, 06:29 PM

BROKER CALL-HK's Cathay Pacific 2005/2006 earnings forecasts raised -Citigrop
12 January 2006
AFX Asia

HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - Citigroup said it has raised its forecasts for Cathay Pacific Airways earnings for 2005 and 2006 following strong operating figures for last year.

Citigroup raised its net profit estimate for the airline for 2005 by 9.0 pct to 3.065 bln hkd from an earlier forecast, and also by 9.0 pct for 2006 to 4.04 bln hkd from a previous forecast.

It maintained its "buy" call and target price of 16 hkd for the stock, it added.

"Cathay continued to impress on the operational front, carrying 15.44 mln passengers and 1.12 mln tons of freight in 2005 !X an increase of 13 pct and 15 pct from a record 2004; Cathay is one of our top picks in the transport sector," it said.

It said Cathay's revenue passenger kilometers, which was up 13.7 pct in 2005, outpaced its forecast of 10 pct, and so did the airline's freight ton kilometers, which was up 10.2 pct last year from a year earlier, and higher than Citigroup's estimate of 10 pct.

Citigroup said it expects revenue passenger kilometers to grow by 13 pct and and 12 pct in 2006 and 2007, respectively.

It said it sees high oil prices remaining as a major drawback and assumes jet fuel for this year to reach 67.5 usd per barrel of oil and 65 usd for 2007.

Jet fuel prices averaged 67.78 usd per barrel in 2005.

At the morning close, Cathay was up 0.10 hkd or 0.71 pct at 14.20.

hkskyline

January 16th, 2006, 06:15 AM

Discontented Cathay crew turn to e-mail to get their message across
16 January 2006
South China Morning Post

Disgruntled Cathay Pacific cabin crew are conducting an e-mail campaign to protest over the company's new rules on sick leave and its refusal to hold year-end pay negotiations with their union.

Dozens of stewards and stewardesses have written e-mails objecting to a Christmas message sent out by a Cathay executive, in which he claimed the union was trying to "sour relations" between management and staff.

The message from Peter Langslow, general manager of inflight services, accused the Flight Attendants Union (FAU) of misrepresenting staff views, and said the "vast majority" of staff welcomed the sick leave rules.

At the same time, Cathay claimed cabin crew were happy with their 13-month bonus and automatic pay scale rises, even though no pay rise was included in their year-end package and talks with the FAU were refused.

The FAU has now been circulating anonymous e-mails from some of its 4,000 members criticising Mr Langslow's message and accusing the company of giving them a raw deal on salaries and sick leave.

One FAU member described the rules, which allow the company to scrutinise the medical records of staff who persistently call in sick, as "another strong-arm tactic to bully us into submission".

Another stewardess said of the lack of pay rise: "Why don't they want to share with us but share among themselves? We are only asking for a reasonable share. This way the poor become poorer and the rich become richer."

FAU leader Becky Kwan Siu-wa said more than 100 responses had been e-mailed after Mr Langslow's Christmas message. A union response was now being presented to members which she hoped would attract "thousands" of signatures.

However, a Cathay spokeswoman responded that a number of forums with staff had been held about the end of year pay adjustments and the issue of sick leave, with positive feedback.

"The majority of comments from the crew community have been positive with regards to both the AMP (attendance monitoring programme) and the salary increases announced," she said.

Internal surveys also indicated that crew were increasingly happy with their work at Cathay, the spokeswoman said, continuing a trend that had been under way for "a number of years".

"We fully understand and accept that not all crew will be happy with all of the decisions made by the company. This is inevitable in a workforce of over 6,500."

hkskyline

January 18th, 2006, 12:42 AM

$2.74m claimed for injuries at airport
Albert Wong
17 January 2006
Hong Kong Standard

A former Cathay Pacific employee claims that an "unsafe system" left her faced with a task she was not equipped to do, causing her physical and psychological harm.

In a case that opened Monday, Winky Chau, a former airport services officer in charge of escorting passengers off airplanes, is claiming HK$2.74 million from Cathay for sprains in both her ankles and her right wrist, sustained bearing the weight of two 60-year-old passengers falling down an escalator.

Describing how she sustained her injuries, Chau testified that she was receiving passengers from a Taipei flight in 1998 when she spotted two elderly people walking with difficulty and carrying heavy luggage. One was using a walking stick, she said.

She proposed stopping an escalator as they approached it as she feared they would not be able to step onto the moving steps.

However, in a hurry to meet their transit to the mainland, the passengers refused her offer, Chau said.

Although there were emergency phones attached to the wall, she said she did not want stop to make a call, risking losing sight of the passengers.

About one-third of the way up, the two passengers toppled on top of her, and using her body to support them, she prevented them from falling all the way down the escalator, she said.

She was wearing two-inch heels, "as required by our uniform" she said.

Her counsel Erik Shum noted that there was a passenger on that flight who had been classified as requiring special assistance and was looked after accordingly. Elderly passengers classified as requiring special assistance are usually treated by better-prepared customer service officers, not airport services officers like Chau, Shum said, but in this case, his client was left to deal with a "stray fish."

Shum said: "It is wrong for [Cathay] to assume that no passengers would require special assistance even though none of them were classified.

"The result of this unsafe system was reflected in the accident."

Shum submitted that Cathay should have trained her to deal with people needing special assistance and that she should have been provided with a walkie-talkie, wheel chairs and supporting staff to aid her.

When training to be an airport services officer, Chau _ who began working for the Hong Kong carrier in 1995 _ was not taught how to handle special assistance cases nor was she given a manual or guidelines, she said.

She worked for Cathay until 2003.

Counsel for Cathay, Ashok Sakhrani, submitted she should not have dealt with the passengers herself and that the suit was filed out of time, since the incident took place in 1998.

Justice Azizul Suffiad is presiding.

el_catrin

January 18th, 2006, 01:06 AM

Wikipedia lists the following as future destinations for Cathay:

Possible new services from Hong Kong:

Chicago, United States (via Vancouver, Canada) (Chicago O'Hare International Airport)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Dallas, United States (Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport)
Munich, Germany (Munich International Airport)
Shanghai, People's Republic of China

Possible new transatlantic service from London Heathrow to

New York, United States

Possible resumed services from Hong Kong:

Zurich, Switzerland (Zurich International Airport) (Currently codesharing on British Airways' flights from London Heathrow)

Interesting...

hkskyline

January 22nd, 2006, 09:15 AM

Thigh's the limit as Cathay turns 60 in style
22 January 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific passengers will get a free trip down memory lane this year as part of the airline's 60th anniversary celebrations.

During flights in August and September, 2,000 stewardesses clad in uniforms from yesteryear will be posing for photos with passengers in addition to selling duty-free goods and serving meals.

To ensure authenticity, the airline has already spent an entire year tracking down the original hats, shoes and materials, and reprinting the patterns for fabric used in their blouses.

"People who flew for the first time 30 or 40 years ago will remember the first time their mum took them to Japan, or their trip to the United Kingdom when they left Hong Kong to study," said Iris Lim, assistant manager of uniforms and grooming standards.

"They will see the uniforms they remember best from their past. Stewardesses will be encouraged to take photos with the passengers. We are the first airline to ever do this and we have copyrighted the idea. We are also one of the only airlines that changed their uniforms so often and so dramatically."

When the airline first took off in 1946, flight attendants were clad in navy blue military-inspired outfits complete with stylish hats. The trend lasted until 1962, when a red suit and a white shirt with a mandarin collar and Chinese flower buttons were introduced. Since then, the airline has incorporated red into every uniform.

"Passengers in the past liked the Eastern Seas [1974 to 1983] uniform the best, but we couldn't stand them. The stewardesses now all want to wear the old military uniforms," she said. "My favourite is the miniskirt [1969 to 1974]. The Beatles were so popular then and skirts kept getting shorter and shorter. We were all very fit and loved to show off our legs."

To ensure passengers know who is in charge and to "signal modern-day continuity", only one out of every three flight attendants will model the vintage uniforms on the flights this summer.

The limited numbers have resulted in an internal contest between flight attendants.

"More than 3,000 flight attendants have written letters to management begging for the chance to wear the nostalgic outfits. The juniors think it's such a fresh and fun idea. Some of them have requested to wear all the uniforms," said Ms Lim, who was a flight attendant in the 1960s. "But we have to see who looks good. Not everyone looks good in every outfit. Everyone's posture and figure is different."

The decision will be announced after two months of fittings, to take place after the Lunar New Year.

For those who have no plans to fly during the summer months, the airline is planning on staging mini-fashion shows at shopping centres across Hong Kong.

hkskyline

January 23rd, 2006, 04:12 PM

Forget the glamour, now life's a grind for flying saleswomen
22 January 2006
South China Morning Post

Sixty years ago, stewardesses had to speak two foreign languages, be registered nurses and look like supermodels. Today, the job is stressful, poorly paid and more about sales than service.

"It was the ultimate job for young women," said Jim Eckes, an aviation consultant with 30 years' experience. "But their status has gone down in the past 60 years. They don't need to be college graduates any more. It has become just another ho-hum job.

"In the United States, some stewardesses get paid so little they qualify for food stamps. Layover times for long-haul flights are also shorter, so cash subsidies have been reduced."

Mr Eckes, managing director of consultancy Indoswiss Aviation, said that as the industry had grown and anti-discrimination laws were implemented, the demands on stewardesses were relaxed.

"In the past, stewardesses had to retire by 35 and stay under a certain body weight," he said. "But this has changed. In the US, there are often stewardesses who are so wide they cannot fit in the aisles and have to turn sideways."

Katharine Leung, a cabin crew training consultant for OneCrew, said: "There is more sensitivity to discrimination. We even avoid asking for photographs from applicants."

The personality requirements reflect the changing role of cabin crew. In the 1940s they were akin to military staff; in the 1950s the emphasis was on glamour; by the 1990s service was key.

Today, they are something between security officers and sales staff - expected to push mileage club memberships and duty-free goods. "There is more of an emphasis on personality. They need to know how to be assertive. Instead of details like pouring the milk before the tea and stirring clockwise {hellip} they need to know how to sell - and not just the things on the sales cart," Ms Leung said.

hkskyline

January 26th, 2006, 03:21 AM

24 January 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific to serve lucky Chinese New Year treats on flights

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/Pudding06_01_tb.jpg http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/Pudding06_02_tb.jpg

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/Pudding06_03_tb.jpg

Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that festive good luck treats will be served on flights to celebrate the Lunar New Year – the most important Chinese festival – and the Year of the Dog.

Rice Pudding and Turnip Pudding will be offered to First and Business Class passengers on all long haul services from Hong Kong from the day before Chinese New Year’s Eve until the third day of the New Year (27 January – 31January 2006). From 29 – 31 January passengers in all classes will receive a gift box of special New Year snacks.

The two puddings have a special significance in Chinese culture, and reflect the desire to rise in rank or reach greater prosperity year after year. Both puddings were created by Hong Kong's Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant. The sweet Jade Garden Glutinous Rice Pudding is flavored with Red Dates while the savory Jade Garden Turnip Pudding features Preserved Meat and Dried Scallop.

Hong Kong's Jade Garden Chinese Restaurant was founded in 1971, and is renowned for its authentic Cantonese cuisine.

During the first three days of the Chinese New Year (29 – 31 January) all passengers will receive decorative boxes containing festive snacks to help make sure the coming year will be lucky and prosperous. The First and Business Class gift box will contain Deep Fried Dumplings, Deep Fried Sesame Balls and Honey Coated Walnuts. In Economy Class, passengers can savour Deep Fried Dumplings – also referred to as Sweet Golden Pockets.

A Treasure Box containing a selection of traditional Chinese New Year snacks, including Sweetened Dried Lotus and Sweetened Dried Winter Melon will be offered in First Class during the first 15 days of the New Year.

Everyone at Cathay Pacific wishes you a happy, peaceful and prosperous Year of the Dog!

hkskyline

January 28th, 2006, 02:37 AM

Sacked Cathay pilot wins right to UK hearing
House of Lords sets precedent with ruling on jurisdiction for labour dispute
28 January 2006
South China Morning Post

Britain's top appeals court has given some employees of Cathay Pacific Airways recourse to British labour laws in a decision that has wider implications for how British-controlled firms in Hong Kong handle staff dismissals.

The House of Lords upheld an appeals court decision allowing George Crofts, one of 51 pilots sacked by Cathay in 2001, to seek compensation for what he saw as unfair dismissal at the hands of Veta, a wholly owned subsidiary of the airline. In 2004, Britain's Employment Tribunals had said it was within its jurisdiction to hear Mr Crofts' complaint, a finding Cathay appealed at the tribunal and appeals court levels.

"I think not only that the tribunal was entitled to reach the conclusion which it did, but also that it was right," Lord Hoffmann said in the 5-0 decision in Mr Crofts' favour. "I would therefore dismiss Veta's appeal."

While Cathay is unlikely to suffer substantial financial losses from the subsequent tribunal hearing - 11 of the 12 British-based pilots sacked in 2001 accepted an offer from the airline in April last year - Mr Crofts undoubtedly will see the decision as an important symbolic victory.

Those close to Mr Crofts say his five-year battle with the airline was less about compensation - the tribunal's cap is said to be less than the amount that Cathay offered him to settle last year - than it was about gaining public acknowledgment that he and his colleagues were unfairly dismissed.

Cathay said it was seeking counsel in Hong Kong and Britain to see if the decision was "compliant with the letter of the UK labour law". "We are disappointed with the ruling," a spokeswoman said. "It has always been the company's belief that the dismissal of Mr Crofts was carried out entirely in accordance with the terms of his contract and was perfectly legal under Hong Kong law."

Mr Crofts is favoured to win the tribunal hearing.

In a letter last year to fellow "49ers", as the sacked pilots are known, Mr Crofts urged them to turn down Cathay's offer - believed in his case to be 10 months' salary and re-employment.

"[The] 49ers are black-banned with virtually every prestige airline in the world as a result of being branded troublemakers. This offer makes no attempt to rectify that wrong. It does not in any way clear our names or record," Mr Crofts wrote. "Expunging the unjust, unlawful termination of the 49ers is paramount to us all. It is, in fact, your careers that rest on this action."

Most of those rehired by Cathay were taken back as cargo pilots at lower wages and less senior positions. Cathay and the pilots' union have mended fences recently after almost five years of acrimony. But that did not lessen the importance of Mr Crofts' victory in union eyes.

"The ruling of the House of Lords sets an important precedent in that an employee of a Hong Kong company, but based in the UK, now clearly has the right to claim a hearing under UK law when he or she believes dismissal was unfair," said John Findlay, general secretary for the Aircrew Officers Association. "It is a process we hope never to have to use in the future. We all hope the new spirit of co-operation will continue and, indeed, be built upon."

Of the sacked pilots, 17 continue to seek compensation through the Hong Kong legal system.

dicksonlai

January 28th, 2006, 02:01 PM

28 January 2006

Cathay Pacific honoured as “Airline of the Year 2006”

Cathay Pacific marked an auspicious start to the Chinese New Year and the airline's 60th anniversary as it was named 'Airline of the Year 2006' by Air Transport World (ATW) magazine, the leading monthly magazine covering the global aviation industry.

US-based ATW said the airline of Hong Kong "is respected and admired among peers for its unwavering commitment to safety, technical excellence and customer service".

ATW's annual industry awards were created in 1974 to recognise excellence and have become one of the most prestigious and valued honours that a company or a person in the airline industry can receive. One airline executive was quoted as saying, "It is like winning a gold medal at the Olympic Games!”

"The 'Airline of the Year' award, the most coveted for overall excellence, goes to a major airline which over the years has exhibited outstanding performance. Cathay Pacific has been among the elite of the world's airlines for several decades," says ATW Editorial Director J.A Donoghue.

Cathay Pacific Airways' Chief Executive, Philip Chen noted: "It is a great honour to receive such recognition - but it is only through the support and guidance of our board, the excellence of all who work at Cathay Pacific and the support of our partners and customers that this is possible. This award means a great deal to us all."

Mr Chen added: "We are especially honoured to receive this award in the year of our 60th anniversary as we reflect on our development over the past six decades in Hong Kong. I hope this is an award that many people will feel part of and can be proud of."

The ATW award winners are selected by a panel of judges which consists of ATW editors from around the world. Nominations are submitted from outside the magazine and from the editors themselves. The panel then enter an exhaustive debate before the winner is decided.

"For an airline to win this award it should have provided exemplary service to the public while compiling a model safety record, been innovative in developing new markets and services, been a leader in applying new technology to the airline industry, and consistently been profitable,' said Mr Donoghue.

Philip Chen will be presented with the 'Airline of the Year 2006' award on behalf of Cathay Pacific on 20th February at a gala dinner in Singapore.

hkskyline

January 29th, 2006, 07:15 AM

By Bowen Chau @ HKADB :

http://hkadb.no-ip.org/hkadb/forum/files/040-15012006bhlk.jpg

http://hkadb.no-ip.org/hkadb/forum/files/031-15012005bhno.jpg

hkskyline

January 29th, 2006, 07:42 PM

Cathay Pacific Named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World Magazine

WASHINGTON - (BUSINESS WIRE) - Jan. 27, 2006 - Penton Media, Inc. (OTCBB:PTON):

Air Transport World magazine, the leading monthly magazine covering the global airline industry, selected Cathay Pacific Airways as its Airline of the Year for 2006. "One of the world's largest and most profitable airlines," Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific "is respected and admired among peers for its unwavering commitment to safety, technical excellence and customer service," ATW's editors said.

ATW Editorial Director J.A. Donoghue added: "Cathay Pacific has been among the elite of the world's airlines for several decades. Its dedication to airline business fundamentals helped it to survive potentially devastating events such as the SARS crisis and 9/11 with its employee group intact and happy and its string of profitable years undisturbed."

Other award winners include VLM Airlines, named ATW's Regional Airline of the Year. Based in Antwerp, Belgium, VLM "is a rarity among Regionals today. It is independently owned, flying in its own livery without business links to a larger carrier, connecting busy business centers in Western Europe with a fleet of Fokker 50s and staying profitable for seven consecutive years," ATW's editors said.

JetBlue Airways received ATW's Passenger Service Award for its innovations. "It has changed passenger perceptions and raised expectations of what a 'budget' airline can and should be," the editors said. These innovations include automating passenger processing, leather seats with generous pitch and Live TV entertainment with a choice of 36 channels throughout the airplane, amenities unheard of in a so-called Low Cost Carrier.

Gol, "The Intelligent Airline", received the Market Leadership Award for bringing the Low Cost Carrier revolution to the Brazilian market. Gol "is transforming the way people travel in Brazil," pricing its product to compete with intercity bus lines. "With a route network that encompasses 47 destinations served by more than 430 daily flights," Gol has captured nearly one-third of the Brazilian domestic market.

Korean Air was named the Phoenix Award winner, presented to airlines that have gone through a major transformation. "In the late 1990s Korean's management decided a complete overhaul was needed and the company began to methodically move in the right direction." Today Korean's goal of becoming one of the best ten airlines in the world by 2010 "is highly credible," ATW said. The Joseph S. Murphy Industry Service Award was presented to the International Air Transport Association for a wide range of activities, ATW said, including opening new time and fuel-saving air routes, fighting unjustified taxes and charges, and developing new business and operating standards that increase efficiencies in airlines around the world.

Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft manufacturer, received the Aviation Technology Achievement Award for its Embraer 170/190 family of large regional jets that brought new levels of technology and passenger comfort to the world's airlines.

The awards will be presented on Monday, February 20, in Singapore on the eve of the Singapore Air Show at Air Transport World's Gala Awards Dinner at the Swissotel The Stamford. Event registration is at http://conference.atwonline.com .

Air Transport World is the leading monthly magazine serving the airline and commercial aircraft manufacturing industries. The magazine began its annual awards program in 1974 to recognize excellence in the airline and commercial aerospace industries. Air Transport World is published by Ohio-based Penton Media (OTCBB:PTON), a diversified, global business-to-business media company.

Air Transport World J.A. Donoghue, 301-650-2420 ext. 110

hkskyline

February 7th, 2006, 04:50 PM

HK's Cathay Pacific, Swire Pacific say chairman resigns for 'personal reasons'
2 February 2006
AFX Asia

HONG KONG (XFN-ASIA) - Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd and parent Swire Pacific Ltd said in separate statements that David Turnbull has resigned as chairman and director of both groups for "personal reasons".

David Fu, company secretary for both Cathay Pacific and Swire Pacific, said in a statement that Turnbull's resignation took effect on Tuesday.

Christopher Dale Pratt has been elected chairman of the board of both groups and appointed as a director with effect from yesterday.

Turnbull has confirmed that his resignation is for "personal reasons and that he is not aware of any disagreement with the board," Fu said.

Pratt's annual salary, together with allowances, will be 6.47 mln hkd at Cathay Pacific, with a similar amount at Swire Pacific.

In another statement, Fu said Turnbull has been re-designated as non-executive director, from an executive director, of Swire Pacific unit Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co Ltd (HAECO) with effect from yesterday.

He remains chairman of the board of HAECO.

hkskyline

February 9th, 2006, 05:52 AM

Cathay link to Moscow hits turbulence
9 February 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways' bid to begin flights to Moscow next month has met turbulence with unresolved commercial and operational issues delaying the maiden flight to the Russian capital.

The new service was pending approval when Cathay in December announced its March 27 launch date. It is still awaiting government consent and with less than two months to go, the management has decided to postpone the launch.

The flight was to continue from Moscow to Manchester, England, marking Cathay's return to the key northern commercial centre after more than a decade's absence.

"Preparations for a new service typically need to be completed well in advance of the launch date," Cathay said yesterday. "Unfortunately, we continue to await the completion of regulatory formalities regarding Manchester, which is taking longer than originally anticipated, so the airline has made the decision now to postpone."

The airline has been operating a code-share service with the state carrier Aeroflot since June 2004, which operates using the Russian carrier's B767 aircraft.

According to an executive involved in the talks, a key hurdle is Aeroflot's lack of traffic rights to fly to Manchester, a fact Cathay management was appraised of only late last month. Cathay would not comment on Aeroflot's bilateral status yesterday but none of the problems are thought to originate on the Hong Kong side.

Alexey Sumchenko, Aeroflot's general manager for Hong Kong, did not respond to inquiries this week.

Cathay's bid to fly its own aircraft to Moscow has struggled to get off the ground. The service was first announced by former chairman David Turnbull in May 2004 with at least one target date, in July last year, postponed previously.

Russian travellers visiting Hong Kong constitute a small but rapidly growing market, making it necessary from a profit perspective for Cathay to include an onward destination such as Manchester. According to the Hong Kong Tourism Bureau, 22,200 Russian citizens visited Hong Kong last year, up 32.6 per cent on the year before.

Cathay, which had already begun selling tickets for the service, said it continued to work with its partners in the hopes of resolving the outstanding issues.

"Travel agents have been advised of the postponement," the carrier said. "Any passenger who has made a booking to Manchester will be offered an alternative routing through London Heathrow. Passengers booked to Moscow will be able to travel on our existing code-share service operated by Aeroflot."

hkskyline

February 9th, 2006, 05:45 PM

Light read and light meals equal huge savings for Hong Kong airline

HONG KONG, Feb 9, 2006 (AFP) - Lighter reading and light meals appear to be key to Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific's plans to trim weight -- and fuel bills -- on its international flights.

The airline believes it can shed up to half a tonne of weight on each flight if it prints its in-flight magazine "Discovery" on thinner paper and swaps its food carts for new lighter trolleys.

It is also considering stripping 200 kilogrammes from cargo planes by stripping them of paint, the latest edition of the airline's staff magazine "CX World" reports.

With airline fuel prices rocketing and fuel consumption fluctuating with weight, Cathay believes the cuts could trim its bills by up to 35 million Hong Kong dollars (4.48 million US dollars) a year.

cheunger

February 13th, 2006, 12:21 PM

13 February 2006

Cathay Pacific releases January 2006 traffic figures

Cathay Pacific today released traffic figures for January 2006 that show a solid start to the year, boosted by a seasonal peak over the Chinese New Year holiday during which the airline operated 70 extra pairs of services to meet passenger demand.

The airline in January carried 1,388,805 passengers, a 15.1 percent increase over the same month last year. The shifting date of the Chinese New Year can make accurate year-on-year comparisons difficult – the holiday last year fell in February. Still, passenger growth for the period remained ahead of a corresponding 11.4 percent increase in passenger capacity, measured in terms of available seat kilometres, or ASKs.

Demand was strong to Australia and New Zealand, where it was the height of summer, and also to destinations within Southeast Asia – places that many leisure travellers avoided last year following the Indian Ocean tsunami. January’s passenger load factor was a high 80.4 percent, a rise of 0.8 percentage points.

The airline carried 91,366 tonnes of cargo in January, a 21.9 percent rise over the same month in 2005. A boost to shipments is normal during the run-up to the Chinese New Year. At the same time there was a 14.4 percent increase in capacity, measured in terms of available cargo/mail tonne kilometres. Two additional freighters have joined the fleet in the past year and new services commenced to Shanghai, Dallas and Atlanta.

The cargo load factor was 61.9 percent – a reflection of the fact that far more goods are being exported from southern China through Hong Kong than are being imported from the United States and Europe.

Fuel prices remained high. Their full impact in 2005 will be revealed when the company issues its Annual Results for the year on 8 March.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said: “Business over the Chinese New Year was good considering it fell so close to Christmas. Although loads have been high, stiff competition on many key routes and a strengthening of the US dollar against foreign currencies depressed yield. “

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “Cargo growth in January got a boost from the pre-holiday peak, the addition of two freighters and new services to the US and Shanghai, which were not in place this time last year. Yet underlying demand is spiky and somewhat unpredictable with continued uncertainty over the imposition of quotas on Chinese-made garments in Europe and the US. Business will likely be weaker in February.”

hkskyline

February 14th, 2006, 04:22 PM

Cathay Pacific 2006 earnings seen up 27 pct - Merrill Lynch
14 February 2006

HONG KONG (AFX) - Merrill Lynch, which has kept its 'buy' call on Cathay Pacific Airways, said the airline is expected to report strong earnings growth this year, following weak 2005 results, on steady jet fuel prices and improved operating performance.

The investment house said it sees Cathay's 2006 net profit rising 27 pct to about 4.39 bln hkd from its 2005 net profit estimate of 3.46 bln.

The 2005 net profit estimate represents a 23 pct decline in the year-earlier earnings, it said.

Merrill Lynch, which has set a price target of 16.20 hkd for the stock, expects jet fuel prices to remain within the 60-80 usd per barrel range this year.

Its bullish forecast was supported by Cathay's strong January traffic data.

Cathay Pacific Airways reported yesterday it carried 1.39 mln passengers in January, 15 pct more than a year earlier due to the Lunar New Year holidays.

Its passenger load factor in January was 80.4 pct, an increase of 0.8 percentage points from a year earlier. The airline also carried 91,366 tons of cargo in January, a 21.9 pct rise over the same month in 2005. The cargo load factor was 61.9 pct.

'With demand remaining robust and fuel prices stabilizing we remain optimistic for a rebound in earnings in 2006,' Merrill Lynch said.

At today's close, Cathay Pacific was up 0.15 hkd or 1.08 pct at 14.10.

nazrey

February 16th, 2006, 04:46 PM

Cathay Pacific upgrades in-flight entertainment
15-02-2006
By Surin Murugiah

Cathay Pacific Airways has upgraded the in-flight entertainment for its premium passengers with up to 50 movies and more than 100 television shows available on demand.

The upgrade that features various additions and enhancements, including a new movie category “CX Choice” that showcases award-winning movies was introduced by the airline in February.

The expansion of its in-flight entertainment follows the launch of the StudioCX user interface in November last year.

Chinese-language subtitles have also been added to more of the popular programmes to appeal to a wider range of passengers.

Among the highlights for February is a category of movies under the theme of "Almost Oscars" and popular television series such as "The Apprentice", "24" and "Lost".

Its country manager for Malaysia and Brunei, Angela Liew said on Feb 15 that part of the airline’s exclusive offering of in-flight entertainment involves an expansion of choice by almost 50%.

“With a greatly enhanced viewing choice and some smart new features in our latest improvements, this is something that Cathay Pacific’s customers in Malaysia can expect from the airline of the year,” she said.

hkskyline

February 17th, 2006, 04:57 PM

Cathay Pacific plans additional flights to Bali
17 February 2006
The Jakarta Post

Cathay Pacific may add four more flights to Bali between July and October this year, despite a drop in tourist arrivals to the island following the terrorist bombings last October.

The airline's country manager for Indonesia, Richard Reed, said despite the decreased number of tourists visiting Bali over the past few months, Cathay was optimistic passenger numbers to the island would increase in the coming months.

Cathay, which operates 95 aircraft globally, currently has seven flights a week to the island. Last year, the airline served 98,886 passengers to Bali.

"Although the increase in frequency is still a plan, our sales teams from Japan and Korea assure us that so far things are looking positive," he said, adding that Cathay would soon decide whether or not to go ahead with the additional flights.

Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik said earlier this week that before the bombings in October, the average number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali was 5,000 a day.

Wacik said that between October last year through the end of January foreign tourist arrivals had fallen to about 3,000 per day, increasing slightly to about 3,600 a day in the first week of February.

Reed said Cathay was shooting for the title "Airline of the Year" in 2006 from Air Transport World (ATW) magazine. ATW , a U.S.-based publication, is one of the leading monthly magazines covering the global airline industry.

"Last month, we were 14 to 15 percent above our revenue target in Indonesia," he said, adding that Cathay also had 14 flights to Jakarta and four flights to Surabaya each week.

"We are currently the third-most profitable airline in the world despite being ranked 32nd in terms of most passengers carried," Reed said. The company earned a profit of US$566.2 million in 2004.

Cathay's major shareholders are Swire Pacific Limited and CITIC Pacific Limited, which are based in Hong Kong.

hkskyline

February 17th, 2006, 06:11 PM

Cathay offices raided in price-fixing probes across globe
Air-cargo industry rocked as US and European authorities investigate surcharges for fuel and security
16 February 2006
South China Morning Post

Competition watchdog authorities raided the offices of Cathay Pacific Airways in Frankfurt, Los Angeles and San Francisco yesterday as the carrier was caught up in global probes into price fixing in the air-cargo industry.

The raids - part of a co-ordinated series of sweeps on leading airline offices in Asia, Europe and the United States - are understood to involve allegations of price fixing for various surcharges for fuel and security.

The European Commission, which with the US Department of Justice, is conducting the investigation, said in a statement: "The commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated [a European Union] treaty, which prohibits practices such as price fixing."

The commission declined to name the targets.

Asian carriers caught up in the investigation include Cathay, Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines.

European carriers include Air France-KLM, Lufthansa, British Airways and Luxembourg's Cargolux.

At least three US airlines are also being investigated or have been asked to assist the authorities.

"Cathay Pacific Airways is in co-operation with the European Commission and US Department of Justice in respect of their investigation into air-cargo operations," a spokesman said yesterday.

"Cathay is in strict compliance with the applicable legislation in all of its operating markets."

Employees in some of the offices targeted around the world were ordered not to touch their computers and to wait outside as security officials combed the premises for evidence.

One focus of attention is thought to be the fuel surcharge formula created by German carrier Lufthansa and widely used around the world.

The formula revisits aviation fuel prices every two weeks and adjusts the surcharges accordingly and is openly available on the carrier's website.

Many airlines adopted the formula at the request of their customers, who wanted a level of predictability when budgeting transport costs for moving goods to market each season.

Tacked on to freight rates, surcharges for items such as security and fuel typically add 25 per cent to the cost of moving between Asia and Europe and it is thought the probes may have been triggered by complaints from powerful retailers.

Senior executives convening in Shanghai yesterday for the International Air Transport Association's annual cargo conference were surprised by the quasi-military nature of some of the raids.

"Given that we all use Lufthansa's transparent [formula], why did they feel the need to co-ordinate raids with uniformed officers?" asked an executive from one of the carriers being probed.

"If they had suspicions about the formula, why didn't they just hand the matter over to the competition authorities to investigate?"

There was no confirmation last night that the investigation is focused solely on the surcharges levied by the industry, but one executive could see no alternative.

"We're not all colluding on price, I'll tell you that," said Stan Wraight, a vice-president at AirBridge Cargo, which is not under investigation. "It's so competitive right now, there is no price left to fix."

hkskyline

February 18th, 2006, 01:43 AM

Cathay Pacific upgrades in-flight entertainment
15-02-2006
By Surin Murugiah

Cathay Pacific Airways has upgraded the in-flight entertainment for its premium passengers with up to 50 movies and more than 100 television shows available on demand.
Screenshots from CX Website

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/MainMenu_highres.jpg

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/AVOD2_highres.jpg

http://downloads.cathaypacific.com/cx/press/AVOD1_highres.jpg

hkskyline

February 20th, 2006, 04:41 PM

Cathay incentive scheme prompts ethical questions
20 February 2006
South China Morning Post

It has often been a puzzle as to why, nine times out of 10, unless a specific airline is requested, I walk out of a local travel agent clasping a Cathay Pacific ticket. All airlines have incentive schemes for travel agents of course but these vary. In a nutshell, if Agent A sells enough tickets on one airline they get a "bonus" from the carrier.

But it seems Cathay operates a rather singular system in its home market. In dealing with travel agents, our flagship carrier has three priority routes - Sydney, London and Los Angeles. If an agent doesn't meet the target set by Cathay on these routes, it will be penalised across the board, a leading travel company explained.

For example, the agent could excel in selling 20 other destinations in the Cathay network but they would still get a penalty deduction from their entire incentive payment if they don't meet their target for even one of those three destinations. The incentive/penalty is split into First/Business and Economy class for each route which means six potential penalties.

The targets are very aggressive, so many agents can meet them only by selling as many Cathay tickets as possible. This practice raises key issues, not least that in Europe and elsewhere this would be regarded as blatant abuse of a national carrier's dominant position. Since Hong Kong effectively has no anti-competition laws, it is not illegal here. But is it ethical?

British Airways states that in line with industry standard, it pays local travel agents 7 per cent commission. "Clearly, our key route from Hong Kong is to London, so agents are incentivised on sales they make for us on this route," the airline said. BA would not comment on other airlines.

So two questions were emailed to Cathay. Firstly, though not illegal here, was their incentive scheme ethical? And secondly, did the company think its practices would be regarded internationally as appropriate business conduct for a national carrier?

In response, Cathay seemed reluctant to address either issue. A spokeswoman merely replied that: "Market competition among travel agents is very keen, so it is in their interests to offer customers the best deal." Passengers have other sales channels, she added, including online portals.

"We would like to believe that passengers choose to fly with Cathay Pacific because of our award-winning product and services, convenient flight frequencies and extensive connectivity worldwide."

No doubt, but that wasn't the question. A second email was dispatched, again asking for a comment on agent commissions. Back came the reply: "My previous e-mail is the answer to your questions." Indeed.

hkskyline

February 21st, 2006, 12:46 AM

By ABC from a Hong Kong transport forum :

http://ihs.meric.hk/rforum.php/20881.jpg

hkskyline

February 22nd, 2006, 06:16 AM

Cathay cargo spreads its wings
Carrier plans new routes to boost yields as growing trade imbalances hit profits
22 February 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways has mapped out an aggressive growth plan for its freight business, adding destinations in Europe, the United States and India.

The airline, which may soon build cargo-handling facilities in Hong Kong and the US, will add five newly converted freighters to its fleet in the next two years, kick-starting a longer-term goal to be "the leading air cargo carrier between Asia and the world", according to director Ron Mathison.

"Given our proximity [to China] and the shift in manufacturing from the US and the European Union to lower-cost countries in Asia, including China, we have a tremendous opportunity for growth," Mr Mathison said. "We will not be chasing the No1 spot just for the sake of it. But given the size of that market, there is no reason why we should not be much bigger than we are."

Cathay, the world's sixth-biggest scheduled freight carrier, generated $11.4 billion in sales from its cargo division in 2004. It will report last year's earnings on March 8.

It is currently caught up in a global investigation into alleged price-fixing by most of the world's top cargo airlines.

Mr Mathison would not comment on the investigation, but speculation yesterday continued to focus on an EU-based fuel surcharge formula unilaterally applied by airlines contesting a share of the $400 billion industry.

According to British media reports, investigators are also looking for evidence that airlines have exploited the US-driven "war on terror" to artificially inflate the price of transporting goods by air through a series of war-risk surcharges.

While Cathay expects to expand its freight capacity by almost 9 per cent this year, Mr Mathison said it would be a "year of consolidation" as the new freighters replace less fuel-efficient leased planes.

Next year, cargo capacity is expected to grow 12.4 per cent after three more freighters join Cathay's fleet from its associate engineering facility in Xiamen, and in 2008 the carrier's expansion plans will turn in part to Europe.

"Geographically, we will be looking for one more point in each of southern, eastern and northern Europe to capitalise on growth in some of those secondary markets," he said. "We also have India in our sights."

Cathay believes flying direct to selected secondary markets will help it defy growing trade imbalances. Exports at the airport's biggest terminal last year outstripped imports 2.03 to 1, and the disparity continues to widen. The growing imbalance is eroding yields, the average revenue for flying a tonne of cargo one kilometre.

By developing secondary destinations in the EU and the US, Cathay will become more competitive in its key markets, boosting volumes flown on the leg back to Asia.

Airlines can also boost profitability by cutting costs. But more than a year into the highest fuel prices in history, most are hard-pressed to find more fat to trim.

The narrowing search saw Mr Mathison late last year revisit Cathay's long-held policy of outsourcing global cargo handling, the biggest freight cost after fuel.

In many respects, Cathay, which moved 1.12 million tonnes of cargo last year, became a victim of its own success. Very few handlers at any airport have the capacity to handle the kind of volume Cathay generates, making it very difficult for it to negotiate cheaper rates.

"That issue is raising its head in many places and as a result we are reviewing our whole approach to self-handling," Mr Mathison said. "We are probably more outsourced in that regard than any other major cargo airline."

Whatever challenges lie ahead for Cathay and the rest of the industry, Mr Mathison does not expect an erosion of Hong Kong's status as South China's premier cargo hub any time soon, as some bearish prognosticators are warning.

He turned more than a few heads in Shanghai last week at the biennial Airfreight Asia conference when he said Hong Kong would remain ahead of Guangzhou and Shenzhen in volume terms until well past 2020.

"I am not in the camp that thinks Hong Kong will lose a lot of cargo to Guangzhou," he told the Post. "That is not to say we are complacent, we're not. It is not to say we shouldn't be investing, or introducing new services and improving what we offer - we should.

"It's just that I believe that Hong Kong's advantage in terms of the network, the quality of services - the controls on cargo damage and pilferage, the terminals' shorter turnaround and dwell times, the productivity, the work ethic, the business-friendly customs environment - all that combined makes us extra competitive."

vincent

February 22nd, 2006, 11:39 AM

hkskyline

February 22nd, 2006, 05:50 PM

"In many respects, Cathay, which moved 1.12 million tonnes of cargo last year, became a victim of its own success. Very few handlers at any airport have the capacity to handle the kind of volume Cathay generates, making it very difficult for it to negotiate cheaper rates."

When an airline is the biggest client of a certain cargo handling facilities, wouldn't the airline get a cheaper price than other carriers??
I guess the rationale could be since nobody else at the airport can handle Cathay's volumes, they have no choice but to pay a higher price if the cargo handler insists since there is no competition. It's some sort of a reverse monopoly on the supplier side.

hkskyline

February 25th, 2006, 07:26 AM

22 February 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific welcomes budget speech principles given by Financial Secretary

Cathay Pacific Airways today welcomed and strongly supports the financial policy principles expressed by Henry Tang, Financial Secretary of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, in his Budget Speech "Market Leads, Government Facilitates".

The airline welcomes the Government's business facilitation measures to cut red tape and streamline procedures, therefore reducing the cost of doing business in Hong Kong and enhancing our competitive edge.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen agrees with the Financial Secretary that the best foundation for business is to maintain an orderly market, a level playing field, and a favorable business environment that will enable Hong Kong companies to compete efficiently in global markets.

On growth opportunities, Cathay Pacific concurs with Mr. Tang that the Mainland has become the economic engine of the Asia-Pacific region, and that Hong Kong should identify those of its own strengths which can complement the motherland's development.

Mr. Chen said: "We fully agree with the Financial Secretary that this will be the key to the future of Hong Kong and the airline will fully support the Government's efforts to facilitate the use of Hong Kong as a gateway to the international market by Mainland enterprises."

hkskyline

March 1st, 2006, 06:27 PM

Cathay's All Asia Pass adds 3 more cities
The New York Times
28 February 2006

Cathay Pacific has introduced a new All Asia Pass that allows travelers to visit up to 18 Asian cities, including three new ones. The price for the passes starts at $1,499, an increase of $200 from last year, but now the pass includes Colombo, Sri Lanka, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The pass includes a round trip economy ticket to Hong Kong from either New York, San Francisco or Los Angeles and is valid for 21 consecutive days of travel.

Bookings must be made 30 days in advance. Travelers who register online as a Cathay Pacific CyberTraveler before booking can get a $200 discount. More information can be found at the airline's Web site: www.cathaypacific.com .

hkskyline

March 4th, 2006, 06:14 AM

Cathay Pacific promotes HK business ties with Europe

HONG KONG, March 3 (Xinhua) -- Cathay Pacific Airways is further promoting trade and business connections between Hong Kong and Europe by honoring three leading British companies for their achievements and dynamism in developing Hong Kong and Chinese mainland trade in the first British Cathay Pacific Awards.

According to a press release from the company, Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen made presentations to Rolls-Royce, Scientific Generics/SGAI Tech and Arup at a ceremony attended by leading British business figures on Thursday in London.

"Cathay Pacific has for more than 25 years forged connections between Hong Kong and Europe to strengthen Hong Kong's position as the gateway to the Chinese mainland and build linkages to the Pearl River Delta," Chen said.

Chen added "Cathay Pacific is committed to enhancing these connections through building strong air bridges between Europe and the Chinese mainland via our home base.

The Cathay Pacific Awards in Britain, honoring three British businesses for their achievements and dynamism in Hong Kong and Chinese mainland trade, further underline our commitment to continue to serve, promote and grow with Hong Kong."

Cathay Pacific operated its first flight between Hong Kong and London on July 16, 1980 and now offers more flights between Hong Kong and Europe than any other carriers, including 39 weekly passenger and freighter services to Britain. The airline has recently been named "Airline of the Year 2006" by Air Transport World magazine.

dchengg

March 6th, 2006, 05:12 AM

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f367/dchengg/FINALcopy.jpg

I created this in graphics class in school, we were suppose to make a mug design for a company with logo and sologan..

hkskyline

March 6th, 2006, 05:52 PM

HK Cathay, Swire May Report Fall In 2005 Core Net Profit
6 March 2006

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (0293.HK) is expected to report an 18% fall in 2005 net profit due to surging fuel prices, despite strong growth in both passenger and cargo demand throughout its network, analysts said.

The airline's parent, conglomerate Swire Pacific Ltd. (0019.HK), will also likely post a slight decline in its core net profit - excluding one-off gains - as a result of the lower contributions from Cathay.

The average estimate of 13 analysts polled by Thomson Financial put Cathay's 2005 net profit at HK$3.61 billion, down from HK$4.42 billion in the previous year. The profit forecasts range between HK$3.07 billion and HK$4.11 billion.

Swire, which has a 46% stake in Hong Kong's biggest airline, could post a net profit of HK$9.53 billion, up 46% from HK$6.54 billion the previous year, based on the average estimate of 11 analysts polled by Thomson Financial. But that figure was likely lifted by one-off gains from a port disposal and revaluation of investment properties.

Cathay Pacific is scheduled to report its earnings Wednesday, while Swire is expected to release its full year results Thursday.

A decline in Cathay's net profit wouldn't come as a surprise.

The carrier recorded a 6% fall in first half net profit to HK$1.67 billion, from HK$1.77 billion in the year-earlier period.

And Cathay warned that the second half of 2005 could be worse than the first, given that fuel costs remained high.

The average price of Cathay's jet fuel rose to US$65 a barrel during the six months, up from US$46. For the full year, the average fuel price amounted to US$67.9 a barrel, up from US$47.5, according to research data from Deutsche Bank.

'The surging price of fuel will cause a decline in Cathay's earnings last year, despite good growth in both passenger and cargo traffic,' said Samson Man, an analyst at Core Pacific-Yamaichi International. 'Fuel now accounts for about a third of the company's total costs.'

For all of 2005, Cathay's total passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers, rose 14% to 65.11 billion RPKs. RPK is a measure of passenger sales volume obtained by multiplying the number of revenue-paying passengers carried on a flight by the distance traveled by each passenger.

The rise was attributable to an increase in capacity as Cathay added nine jets to its fleet of 96 aircraft and expanded its flight network, with a boost in the airline's frequencies to major gateways such as London, Sydney and Los Angeles.

Similarly, cargo traffic also surged on increased frequencies and new destinations. Cathay's revenue cargo ton kilometers rose 10.2% to 6.62 billion RCTKs.

For this year, analysts expect a turnaround in Cathay's earnings as fuel prices stabilize. They also expect Cathay to launch passenger services on the lucrative Hong Kong-Shanghai route, although that would be subject to a new aviation deal between Hong Kong and mainland China.

'Although fuel prices will remain high this year at around US$60 a barrel, the level is expected to remain steady, unlike last year's,' said Core Pacific's Man.

He forecasts a net profit of HK$4.20 billion in 2006, up 20% from this year's estimate of HK$3.50 billion.

Deutsche Bank said it expects Cathay will start flying passengers to Shanghai and increase its services to Beijing and Xiamen.

Those new opportunities in China 'should provide Cathay with the much needed new growth driver and network synergies,' Deutsche Bank said, adding that it expects the airline to post a net profit of HK$3.83 billion this year.

Swire's Profits Boosted By Port Sale, Ppty Revaluation

Swire Pacific's net profit in 2005 will be helped by a HK$2.3 billion one-off gain from the sale of Swire's 17.6% stake in Hong Kong container terminal operator Modern Terminals Ltd. last August.

The conglomerate, which owns some of the city's most prominent shopping centers and office complexes, recorded a further boost in its earnings after booking property revaluation gains of HK$4.58 billion in the first half as a result of new accounting standards.

Analysts said positive surprises could come from more property revaluation gains in the second half.

Stripping out one-off items, analysts expect core profit for the blue-chip company to fall 2%, mainly whittled by lower contributions from Cathay. Swire is expected to post an underlying net profit of HK$6.39 billion, down from HK$6.54 billion, based on the average estimate of six analysts surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires.

Mark Simpson, an analyst at Macquarie Research, expects Swire to earn an underlying net profit of HK$6.8 billion, at the high end of the range of forecasts.

'We're more bullish than the market in terms of rental income,' Simpson said.

hkskyline

March 8th, 2006, 05:22 PM

Cathay Pacific Annual Net Profit Falls
8 March 2006

HONG KONG (AP) - Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong Kong's leading carrier, said Wednesday its 2005 net profit fell 25 percent from a year earlier as surging jet fuel prices offset strong growth in passenger demand.

Net profit for the year totaled 3.3 billion Hong Kong dollars ($425 million), down from 4.42 billion Hong Kong dollars in 2004. The average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Financial had put the company's 2005 net profit at 3.61 billion Hong Kong dollars ($465 million).

Revenue rose to 50.91 billion Hong Kong dollars ($6.56 billion) from $42.76 billion Hong Kong dollars on strong passenger demand. Cathay's total passenger traffic rose 14 percent to 65.11 billion revenue passenger kilometers -- a measure of passenger sales volume.

But earnings were hit by soaring fuel costs. The carrier said during the year its fuel costs rose 67 percent to 15.59 billion Hong Kong dollars ($2.01 billion), accounting for 33 percent of its operating expenses, which totaled 46.77 billion Hong Kong dollars.

Cathay said fuel prices now account for about a third of its total costs, surpassing the amount it pays in staff wages. It said passenger and cargo fuel surcharges only partially offset this additional cost.

During the year, the airline added nine jets to its fleet of 96 aircraft and expanded its flight network, boosting its frequencies to major gateways such as London, Sydney and Los Angeles.

The airline recommended a final dividend of 28 Hong Kong cents, down from 45 Hong Kong cents the previous year.

Cathay hopes to begin passenger flights on the lucrative Hong Kong-Shanghai route later this year. It expects strong passenger demand to underpin growth for 2006.

But Cathay warned that fuel prices will continue to put pressure on its earnings.

"Demand was strong in 2005 and we remain optimistic about our future even though our 2006 results are likely to remain heavily dependent on fuel prices," said Chairman Christopher Pratt.

hkskyline

March 9th, 2006, 06:12 AM

Cathay wants own cargo hub
New chairman confirms plan to build terminal as surge in operating costs erodes carrier's earnings by 25.3pc to $3.2b
9 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways has applied to build and operate its own air cargo terminal at the Hong Kong airport, according to newly appointed chairman Christopher Pratt.

Mr Pratt confirmed speculation that a facility dedicated to its freight business was being planned as the airline redoubles efforts to cut costs across the business.

"Yes, we want [a dedicated cargo facility]. We believe Hong Kong needs one and we have made those views known to the Airport Authority," Mr Pratt said at his inaugural results briefing yesterday. "We need to get our costs down."

A steep increase in operating costs saw Cathay's earnings fall a comparative 25.3 per cent last year to $3.29 billion, well below analysts' forecasts despite a 19 per cent rise in sales.

An average of 10 analysts polled this week forecast net profit to drop 17.1 per cent to $3.66 billion. Cathay spent $6.26 billion more on fuel as prices soared during a year when it had pre-bought just 15 per cent of its expected jet fuel needs.

"The results are disappointing," said Peter Negline, the head of regional transport research at JP Morgan. "While high oil prices hit the airline hard, this should not distract us from the adverse impact competition is having on the business, not to mention a sharp drop in contributions from Dragonair and higher tax charges. Unfortunately, we see the future containing more of the same."

Cathay offered a final dividend of 28 cents per share, against 45 cents a year earlier. The full-year payout dropped to 48 cents from 65 cents in 2004.

Overall, demand for business and leisure travel as well as cargo transport remained strong, with passenger sales rising 14.6 per cent to $30.27 billion and cargo sales up 12.7 per cent to $12.85 billion.

Mr Pratt, who remained positive about the results, blamed fuel for Cathay's disappointing performance from a profit perspective.

"In the circumstances, it is a credible result. Our business is in very good shape. Fuel was a severe tax last year. At these levels, the degree of volatility will continue to be a challenge this year," he said.

The results are destined for unflattering comparisons with regional rival Singapore Airlines which last month posted a 15 per cent drop in third-quarter profit.

"It is worth highlighting that in the second half, Cathay's [earnings before interest and tax] fell 33 per cent while SIA's only declined 4 per cent," Mr Negline said.

Financial controller Robert Atkinson said Cathay this year had "a little more than doubled" last year's fuel hedge position. But while the hedge's quantity had grown, its quality might weaken by a shift from buying straight fuel options to "derivate structures", he said. "The pay-off may not be as great but the downside risk of prices falling is not as great either," he said.

Cathay's performance cancelled its staff profit-sharing scheme this year - margins fell below the 7.5 per cent trigger level - a development that added $800 million to the bottom line. But that was countered by a $1.26 billion jump in maintenance, aircraft depreciation and leasing costs.

Overall, operating costs grew $9.25 billion last year, despite a 1.9 per cent fall in non-fuel costs.

People close to the talks said Cathay, which moved 1.1 million tonnes of freight last year, had initially proposed building a cargo facility at the airport capable of handling two million tonnes a year, built in phases and operational by 2009.

hkskyline

March 11th, 2006, 01:49 AM

Hong Kong Cathay Pacific says has no immediate plans to change Dragonair stake
8 March 2006

HONG KONG (AFX) - Cathay Pacific Airways said it has no urgent need to change its stake in Hong Kong DragonAir, company chairman Christoper Pratt said.

'We have no immediate plans to change our stake in DragonAir,' he said, in response to a question on whether Cathay plans to increase its stake in DragonAir.

Cathay holds a 17.79 pct stake in DragonAir, while its controlling shareholder Swire Pacific Ltd owns 7.71 pct.

'We are always in talks with airlines in China including DragonAir on further improving services,' he added.

hkskyline

March 14th, 2006, 02:25 AM

Good looks won't always get you a high-flying job, but they sure help
14 March 2006
South China Morning Post

Robert Chan Pok-yung, 76, was one of Cathay Pacific's first male cabin attendants and he believes his good looks helped him get the job.

He was having tea at the Peninsula Hotel in 1956 when he was spotted by the airline's recruiters.

The chance encounter led to a 29-year career with the airline and yesterday he was one of three generations of attendants who recalled their experiences to mark Cathay's 60th anniversary.

From 3,000 passengers in the first year to more than 15.4 million last year, Cathay has carried more than 200 million passengers, almost 30 times Hong Kong's population, since its inception.

Mr Chan's first day on the job almost ended in tears.

"My English was limited and I hadn't had any professional training," he said. "I kept on praying, hoping to get courage from God during my first cabin service."

Despite his efforts, he couldn't get passengers to watch the life-jacket demonstration and was in tears when a senior staff member gave him a hug and words of encouragement.

After that he spoke up, won the passengers' respect and from then on his confidence increased gradually.

"At that time, one plane usually accommodated 28 passengers, who were either government officials or businessmen from rich families and I built a very good relationship with them," the retiree said.

Henry Chen Hon-lun's father was the first male cabin attendant and worked for Cathay for 33 years.

"I said to myself that I would break my dad's record, and I did," said Mr Chen, who started as an attendant 36 years ago in 1970 and is now training manager. Unlike Mr Chan, he had five weeks' training - almost as much as present recruits, who receive six.

In the 1970s, the airline had about 300 flight attendants - compared with the present 7,000, 11 per cent of whom are men.

Deborah Leung Pik-fan, the "baby" of the three with 23 years' service, said that although flying was now commonplace compared to the earlier years, "it doesn't mean passengers have lowered their requirements".

Ms Leung, an in-flight services manager, said that with the company's expansion into the mainland, Mandarin lessons had become a key point in training.

hkskyline

March 15th, 2006, 01:44 AM

13 March 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific releases February 2006 Traffic Figures

Cathay Pacific today released traffic figures for February 2006 that show passenger numbers increased over the same month last year, while cargo got off to a slow start following the Chinese New Year holiday.

The airline carried a total 1,263,435 passengers, a 9.1 percent rise over the same month last year. Demand to Europe and North America was strong, building on the extra capacity now in place to key destinations such as Los Angeles and London. The passenger load factor for the month was 77.1 percent, down 0.3 percentage points on the same month in 2005.

As with January, the shifting date of the Chinese New Year holiday makes a direct year-on-year comparison difficult. February’s passenger growth dipped marginally behind the increase in capacity, measured in terms of available seat kilometres, or ASKs, which was up by 9.6 percent. Yet over the first two months of the year the passenger growth of 12.1 percent was comfortably ahead of capacity growth of 10.5 percent.

The airline carried 86,705 tonnes of cargo in February, up 18.1 percent on the same month last year, ahead of a corresponding 5.4 percent increase in capacity, measured in terms of available cargo/mail tonne kilometres. February’s cargo load factor was 68 percent, reflecting continued directional imbalances as far more goods were shipped from Southern China through Hong Kong than were imported from markets such as the United States, Europe and Australia.

More passenger flights are planned. From April the airline will operate three non-stop flights each week to Penang. Three more weekly flights will operate to Paris and Frankfurt, taking both to 10 services a week. Four more weekly services will operate to Denpasar and two more to Cebu during the peak season, and another two weekly services will operate to Adelaide from June.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Revenue Management, Sales & Distribution Ian Shiu said: “Business in February was quite solid. Front-end traffic remained robust, though strong competition and aggressive pricing is depressing yield for sales in the back end of the aircraft. Currency movements resulting from the strong US dollar are also working against us.”

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “The market saw a very slow recovery after Chinese New Year with orders for new stock coming in later than usual. A lingering uncertainty and nervousness regarding the trade imbalance is putting pressure on yields. While demand for exports out of China appears to be strong there is over-capacity on the return lanes from the US and Europe, resulting in further yield erosion.”

vincent

March 15th, 2006, 07:51 AM

hkskyline

March 15th, 2006, 06:00 PM

Cathay set for Shanghai
15 March 2006
Hong Kong Standard

Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's largest airline, appears set to achieve one of its fondest dreams _ winning the right to operate passenger flights to Shanghai.

A spokeswoman for CAAC, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, confirmed Tuesday that Cathay could obtain approval to fly the Hong Kong-Shanghai route this year, but declined to say when.

This was after a state-backed newspaper quoted CAAC chairman Yang Yuanyuan as saying that Cathay would finally get permission to serve China's commercial metropolis. Shanghai would be Cathay's third mainland destination after Beijing and Xiamen. The British-controlled airline ceased flying to the mainland in 1991 as the result of an agreement between the Beijing and Hong Kong governments that allowed only one local carrier to fly mainland routes.

Hong Kong Dragon Airlines, or Dragonair, which is 18 percent owned by Cathay, won the privilege. That agreement expired in 2003.

According to industry statistics, one million passengers fly per year between Shanghai and Hong Kong, while six million passengers reach Shanghai from Singapore, Bangkok, Tokyo and Seoul. Analysts said Cathay could easily capture 5 percent of this traffic.

Chief executive Philip Chen said Tuesday that Cathay is ready to launch services to Shanghai and expects to pick up mainland-bound traffic from Australia and Southeast Asia when it does.

If Cathay were allowed three Shanghai return flights per day, its traffic would increase by more than 300,000 passengers annually, he said.

Mainland rival China Eastern Airlines, which has always opposed more competition on the route, said allowing Cathay to serve Shanghai would have a negative impact on other carriers.

But company secretary Luo Zhuping said the impact was difficult to quantify.

Luo said China Eastern has a 50 percent market share on the Hong Kong-Shanghai route and its four daily return flights have a load factor of 70 percent.

A spokesperson for Dragonair said the airline was accustomed to competition on mainland routes.

Credit Suisse aviation analyst Peter Hilton said greater access to China's air traffic is important to Cathay, although a sizable volume would be needed to have an impact on its bottom line.

hkskyline

March 16th, 2006, 03:04 AM

hkskyline, do you know why the cargo business is usually slow after CNY? Is that because most business is closed at that time? or some other reasons?

also, do you happen to know if CX freighter will arrive in foreign city A, and then foreign city B, and then return to HK in order to reduce the cargo directional imbalance issue?
Factories close during CNY, so it takes some time for the cargo to build up and shipped after the holidays. The CNY falls after the busy Christmas retail season, so demand for air cargo space falls after December.

I'm not sure how CX routes its cargo planes, but they tend to make more stops. They are still bound by fifth freedom rights so I doubt they can make it across the world in one shot to reduce cargo directional imbalance.

hkskyline

March 23rd, 2006, 05:25 PM

Cathay Pacific to triple Indian air cargo operations
The Press Trust of India Limited

Mumbai, Mar 17 (PTI) Cathay Pacific Airways plans to triple cargo operations from India by the middle of this calendar year and said it would operate non-stop freighter service between India and Hong Kong.

"We currently operate three cargo flights from India...From Mumbai and Delhi. By September, we will be adding seven more," Cathay Pacific Country Manager (India, Nepal and Bangladesh) Rupert Bray told reporters here today.

Currently, the airline handles 100 tonnes of cargo in each of its freighter aircraft from India besides about 20 tonnes in its regular passenger flights. About one third of the airline's revenue comes through cargo operations, he said.

The company operates three weekly Boeing 747-400 frieghter in Hong Kong-Delhi-London route and another three cargo flights in Honk Kong-Mumbai route.

The decision to increase freighter flights are based on the fact that the cargo operations from the country have seen a 16.5 per cent year-on-year growth, he said.

By June, the airline will add on flight in Hong Kong-Mumbai-Paris route and by August, it will add four non-stop freighters in Mumbai-Hong Kong route. The airline will introduce two more freighters between Hong Kong and India, Bray said.

Indian aviation sector is now witnessing a 25 per cent annual growth in both cargo and passenger traffic and is expected to be maintained over the next five years.

According to International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates, the Asian air cargo traffic is expected to grow at 8.5 per cent each year till 2009.

Monkey

March 23rd, 2006, 05:35 PM

Manila-X

March 24th, 2006, 09:44 AM

It would be a great advantage for Cathay Pacific to have HK->Shanghai routes but I doubt The Chinese government would allow that.

Monkey

March 24th, 2006, 11:16 AM

It would be a great advantage for Cathay Pacific to have HK->Shanghai routes but I doubt The Chinese government would allow that.Why not? Surely this quote suggests precisely he opposite - that the Chinese government will allow Cathay to fly to Shanghai:

"A spokeswoman for CAAC, the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, confirmed Tuesday that Cathay could obtain approval to fly the Hong Kong-Shanghai route this year, but declined to say when.... This was after a state-backed newspaper quoted CAAC chairman Yang Yuanyuan as saying that Cathay would finally get permission to serve China's commercial metropolis."

hkskyline

March 24th, 2006, 07:01 PM

It would be a great advantage for Cathay Pacific to have HK->Shanghai routes but I doubt The Chinese government would allow that.
Cathay has the rights to fly to Shanghai already after the last aviation agreement between HK and China. The matter is when they will start, which should be this year.

vincent

March 25th, 2006, 12:09 AM

It would be a great advantage for Cathay Pacific to have HK->Shanghai routes but I doubt The Chinese government would allow that.
I think a lot of these air rights deal are usually "bilateral" and both sides give something, and receive something from each other. I am not sure about this particular deal though.

dchengg

March 26th, 2006, 01:58 AM

Does anyone have the song I Can Fly??

Please upload... and i didnt mean by having the ones that are 35seconds but those ones that are like real songs

hkskyline

March 30th, 2006, 05:42 AM

29 March 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific to launch first freighter service to Chennai

Cathay Pacific Airways is to further expand its world cargo network with a new twice weekly freighter service linking Hong Kong to the fast-growing Indian cities of Mumbai (Bombay) and, for the first time, Chennai (Madras). It will also be the airline’s first direct freighter service from India to Hong Kong.

India is one of the world’s fastest growing cargo markets with an increasingly affluent customer base hungry for products made in China. The addition of this southeastern port city of Chennai will open up a new market for the airline and offer broader national coverage beyond the existing Cathay Pacific cargo and passenger services to Delhi and Mumbai.

The new service will operate every Tuesday and Friday from 2 June 2006 with a Boeing 747-200F freighter. It will depart Hong Kong at 11.40am, arrive in Mumbai at 3.00pm local time the same day before continuing to Chennai later that afternoon and heading back to Hong Kong at 7.50pm, arriving in the early hours of the following morning in good time for onward connections to the US.

Current Cathay Pacific freighter services to India include a three-times weekly flight to Mumbai which continues to Dubai and Paris then returns to Hong Kong via Dubai. The three-times-weekly Delhi service continues to London, then heads back to Hong Kong via Milan.

Cathay Pacific Director and General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: “Chennai is a major air cargo centre for textiles and clothing industries and will be a useful addition to our global freighter network. We will look to adding more freighter services to India later this year when we get more aircraft capacity.”

dchengg

March 31st, 2006, 05:55 AM

國泰飛溫 7 乘客集體嘔吐不適一度採隔離措施
主要為印裔

http://www.singtao.com/mediaoversea/20060331/20060331ap52.jpg
空姐護送受影響乘客下機。陳鳳儀攝

(本報記者周文琳、陳鳳儀報道)一架從香港直航溫哥華的國泰班機，發生7個乘客集體不適的事件，航機昨日中午抵達溫哥華國際機場後，加拿大衛生部人員一度把機上全部287個乘客隔離。在瞭解情況後，確定航機毋須全面消毒，飛機下午獲准載客飛返香港，但行程延誤逾兩個小時。國泰航空公司發言人皮爾遜（Jennifer Pearson）證實，該編號為CX838的班機，原定昨日中午12時降落溫哥華國際機場，但在飛往溫哥華途中，有7個乘客突然集體感到腹部不適，機長立即知會機場作好準備。航機降落後，加拿大衛生部人員上機瞭解情況，先把不適的乘客帶走檢查，並向乘客進行面談。
仍未確定不適原因
皮爾遜指出﹕「現階仍未確定該7個旅客不適的原因，所有調查工作由加拿大衛生部全權處理。」
受滯留機艙近一小時的李太太透露，不適的乘客主要為印裔人士，來自不同的家庭。航機抵達溫哥華機場，延至12時15分，機長透過機上廣播系統，宣布機上有乘客不適，呼籲乘客安坐位上，不要站立。驚魂甫定的她表示﹕「有些乘客發熱及嘔吐，衛生部職員登機後，為不適的乘客量血壓，詢問他們在機上的飲食，並且向乘客派發衛生入境表。填妥表格後，衛生部職員逐行叫人下機。」
李太太說﹕「我坐在第33排，那幾位不適的乘客主要坐在31排，由於要採取隔離措施，當局要求坐在他們前兩行及後兩行的乘客暫時不准下機。最氣憤是坐34排的乘客就可以走，僅一排之差，就被逼焗在機上近一個小時，直至下午1時才下機。」
溫機場入境部又特別為這班CX838的旅客開設專櫃，處理他們的入境程序。
乘客以為有人死亡
停留在機艙期間，李太太起初還以為有人身故。不過，當下機時間拖延愈久，她開始口乾，焦慮不安。李太太說﹕「這班航機，華人及印裔乘客各佔約5成，只有少數是白人。我發現坐在31行的一位印裔女長者，在登機不久後就向空姐索取藥物。國泰的航機一向很衛生。不過這班機的洗手間卻甚為不潔，我在下機前到洗手間，瞥見洗手盆有嘔吐物。空姐在照顧受影響乘客期間，沒有帶備口罩及手套﹗」
因航機上有乘客不適而要延誤歸期的萊切蒂（Carlotta Liechti）表示﹕「目前流行性傳染病最受關注，如禽流感及非典型肺炎，採取暫時隔離措施可以理解。我雖然是首次到香港，我沒有因為這次暫時隔離影響我旅遊香港的想法。」
加拿大衛生部後來確定航機沒有受到污染，可以毋須消毒返回香港﹔但原訂2時05分離開溫哥華的航班，要延誤了兩個多小時才起飛。

2006/3/31
Source: http://www.singtao.com/oversea/0331ao52.html

Translation:
A Cathay Pacific Flight from Hongkong to Vancouver on flight CX838 have had 7passengers having a fever or throwing up during the flight. The captain has reported the incident to the airport of vancouver to get ready. Miss Lee said: " Cathay pacific has been a very clean airline, but not this time, when i went to the toilet before leaving the aircraft, i saw spit on the sink. When the Flight attendants were treating the passengers with "sickness" without glove, thats not clean!" The passengers were known to be the same group or family, so they may have been eaten something that would cause them the sickness before boarding the aircraft. Health canada has done investigations and have caused a major delay.

hkskyline

April 1st, 2006, 06:29 PM

Here is the English version from Vancovuer :

Flight from Hong Kong delayed by illness
Frances Bula
Vancouver Sun
30 March 2006

SURREY - A Cathay Pacific flight was held up briefly in Vancouver Wednesday after half a dozen passengers complained of feeling ill on the flight from Hong Kong.

Health Canada officials were called in to assess the passengers, but within two hours everyone was cleared to leave, said Vancouver International Airport spokeswoman Jody Holgate.

The flight, which arrived in Vancouver about 12:15 p.m., had 287 passengers and 18 crew on board. It left shortly after 4 p.m.

Health inspectors found no reason to quarantine the plane and unconfirmed reports indicate the problem may have been food poisoning.

nazrey

April 3rd, 2006, 08:17 AM

Cathay Pacific to re-launch HK-Penang non-stop flights
31 Mar 2006 6:57 PM

Cathay Pacific Airways is re-introducing its non-stop flight between Hong Kong and Penang (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=249780&page=1), which was discontinued nine years ago, effective April 24 due to the strong demand.

Cathay Pacific (Penang) manager Mandy Ng said the decision to restart the service was vital in enhancing tourism arrivals into Penang from its international network as well as boosting outbound traffic to Hong Kong and other countries in the region.

“We are also working very closely with Tourism Penang, and we trust that with the new service in place, we will be able to bring in more travellers from Japan, Korea, Taiwan and London as well as cater to the increasing number of leisure traffic from Mainland China into Penang via Hong Kong as the gateway,” she said in a statement on March 31.

The new service will depart from Hong Kong to Penang on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and fly from Penang to Hong Kong on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Cathay Pacific said the existing flights between Hong Kong and Penang via Kuala Lumpur will remain unchanged.

It said the new service, which is now open for booking, is scheduled to depart Penang at 8.25am and arrive Hong Kong at 12.15pm, enabling both business and leisure travelers to have more time in Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific said the service would also provide seamless connections for passengers going to China, North Asia, Europe and North America.

For more information, call reservations at 04-2260411 (Penang), 03-20783377 (Kuala Lumpur) or visit www.cathaypacific.com.my

hkskyline

April 4th, 2006, 03:58 PM

Cathay Pacific Sees Another Tough Year In 2006
By David Pearson
4 April 2006

PARIS (Dow Jones)--Persistently high fuel costs mean that Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (0293.HK) will struggle to compress costs and preserve profits in 2006, the Hong Kong-based airline's chief operating officer said Tuesday.

"It's going to be another very challenging year," COO Tony Tyler told Dow Jones Newswires in an interview after a briefing for French journalists. Tyler declined to make any earnings projection, however.

Cathay Pacific said earlier this year that soaring 2005 fuel costs - up 67% to HK$15.59 million - caused a 25% decline in profit attributable to shareholders. That full-year profit fell to HK$3.30 billion from HK$4.42 billion despite a 19% rise in revenue to HK$50.91 billion.

The airline managed to reduce its per-unit cost excluding fuel by 1.9% last year, and Tyler said the company will continue to work on fuel-cost reductions in 2006, notably through hedging.

"The goal is to keep unit costs heading down while growing the business by about 8% this year," Tyler said.

The airline acquired a 9.9% stake in Air China (0753.HK) when Air China carried out an initial public offering in 2004, and last year the two airlines cemented a code-sharing agreement between Hong Kong and Beijing.

A code-sharing agreement is an arrangement between two airlines in which they both sell seats on a flight using their own flight numbers.

Tyler said Cathay Pacific isn't averse to increasing its strategic stake in Air China at some point in the future. "That's always a possibility. I certainly wouldn't rule that out if it makes sense to us," he said, adding that there are no plans at present to do so.

Cathay Pacific operates long-range routes from Asia to Europe, the U.S. and Australia, and would seem to be an ideal candidate to buy Airbus's (ABI.YY) 550-seat A380 superjumbo. But Cathay Pacific has so far refrained from ordering the aircraft, although Tyler didn't exclude such an eventuality.

"We could see a need for the A380 four of five years down the road, which would mean taking a decision on two or three years," he said.

Cathay Pacific, which has a thriving transatlantic freight business, would be interested in taking freighter versions of the A380 as well as passenger aircraft, Tyler said, the company would have to order several aircraft to to achieve a fleet of "critical size."

Airbus has booked orders for 159 of the double-deck A380, and has said that all the delivery slots are filled through late 2010. But Tyler is confident that not all of the airlines will take delivery of the planes on order, and that some A380s will likely be available when Cathay needs them.

"There are an awful lot of aircaft on order in the Middle East," he said. "I wonder where they're all going to go."

Dubai-based Emirates has ordered 41 passenger A380s plus two freighter versions of the aircraft that cost nearly close to $300 million apiece.

In the meantime, he said, Cathay is more interested in increasing flight frequencies on its routes than in raising volume.

Cathay has operated a frieght route from Hong Kong to Shanghai since 2005, and plans to start up a passenger service on the route later this year, Tyler said. Cathay also aims to add more freight services to European cities this year, he added.

globocentric

April 4th, 2006, 05:11 PM

vincent

April 4th, 2006, 10:09 PM

If flights on others days involve a stopover in KUL, how are they going to persuade passengers to take it? They have been operating PEN to HKG via KUL flights every day for nine years before this annoucement
Because there are enough passenger going from HKG to KUL, and another group of passenger going from KUL, to Penang. So all those passenger that had to go to Penang, can now free up the space in the HKG-KUL-Penang route, and take the HKG-Penang route directly.

deej

April 5th, 2006, 02:35 AM

Interesting article in ATW Online about CX fleet potential...

http://www.atwonline.com/news/story.html?storyID=4582

An excerpt:

'Discussing the passenger fleet, Tyler said the airline is very interested in the 787-10 as well the dash 9. "That's the [kind of] future long-haul aircraft we are looking for," he declared. The A380 is very much on the fleet renewal worksheet, as well the 747-8, because "one day we will have a need for larger aircraft."'

globocentric

April 5th, 2006, 06:29 AM

Because there are enough passenger going from HKG to KUL, and another group of passenger going from KUL, to Penang. So all those passenger that had to go to Penang, can now free up the space in the HKG-KUL-Penang route, and take the HKG-Penang route directly.

you are right. There is a surge in Malaysia- HKG traffic since the opening of Disneyland but KLIA is way behind changi in terms of frequencies. There are 15 flights between SIN and HKG compared to 6 for KLIA

hkskyline

April 5th, 2006, 03:57 PM

30 March 2006
Corporate Press Release
Cathay Pacific Chief Executive shares world brand leadership experience at Guangzhou Business Leaders’ Forum

Cathay Pacific Airways’ Chief Executive Philip Chen today shared his experience in building a successful world brand in Hong Kong with business leaders at a forum in Guangzhou, saying that brand management is a major part of the company-wide strategy to fulfil a “promise”.

“A brand is a promise. It is not just advertising. In fact that is not even half of the story. It is everything we do and every member of staff has a role to play,” said Mr Chen at the CEO Forum in Guangzhou titled “Global Co-operation and Competition: The New Frontier for Enterprises” organized by Hong Kong Trade Development Council.

As the airline of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific strives to be one of Hong Kong’s most recognised brands at home and overseas by providing a unique travel experience.

Mr Chen told the Forum’s session on “Building Branded Companies and Products” that branding and building a product “personality” with which customers can identify is more important than ever to differentiate Cathay Pacific from competing airlines. Communicating that message breaks traditional marketing boundaries.

“We communicate our brand to our customers through a continuous dialogue, from commercials to one-on-one. Instead of being product driven we are customer-driven. It is communicated through all the things we do and every staff our customers have contact with, because, ultimately, the 15 million passengers who buy a Cathay Pacific ticket are our best promoters,” Mr Chen said.

Cathay Pacific has seized the lead with a number of initiatives that have helped promote the prosperity of Hong Kong, further strengthening its role as the airline of Hong Kong. It created the World’s Biggest Welcome lucky draw to boost tourism in Hong Kong by giving away 10,000 free inbound tickets, and spearheaded the “We Love Hong Kong” campaign to get Hong Kong back onto its feet after SARS.

Major Hong Kong events sponsored by the airline include the Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, International Chinese New Year Parade, Broadway musicals, Hong Kong Squash Open and Hong Kong International Races. All attract tourists to the city.

Sponsorship of major events and adopting a leadership role in the local community is a major part of the airline’s brand building strategy, helping to enhance its image throughout the world whilst promoting Hong Kong.

The CEO Forum brought together leaders from government and business including keynote speakers Mr Joseph W P Wong, Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and Mr Tang Hao, Deputy Secretary General of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province.

vincent

April 5th, 2006, 10:37 PM

never really heard about thest two events, Broadway musicals, and Hong Kong Squash Open.

hkskyline

April 11th, 2006, 04:40 AM

Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific, Air China discuss expanded cooperation
10 April 2006

HONG KONG (AFX) - Cathay Pacific Airways and Air China Ltd are in talks to further strengthen their cooperation in various areas, the companies and their major stockholders said in a joint statement.

'The discussions between Air China and Cathay Pacific about operational cooperation are designed to strengthen cooperation between them in various business and operational areas,' the parties said, without elaborating on specific areas where the two carriers are to expand ties.

Cathay Pacific currently holds a 10 pct stake in Air China.

The statement, which was issued along with major shareholders China National Aviation Co (CNAC), CITIC Pacific and Swire Pacific, said the ongoing discussions also cover the realignment of shareholdings in Cathay Pacific, Air China and Dragonair.

It did not provide details of the proposed restructuring.

The five parties said no agreement or arrangement has been reached in their ongoing discussions.

They said Swire Pacific intends to remain a principal shareholder of Cathay Pacific in the long term and that China National Aviation Holding Co intends to remain the long-term controlling shareholder of Air China.

They also said that while CITIC Pacific may reduce its interest in Cathay Pacific, it intends to remain a significant shareholder of the airline for the long term.

They said Air China has no current intention to privatize CNAC.

No change is imminent on the operational status of Dragonair in Hong Kong, they added.

'It is intended that Dragonair is to maintain its brand and identity and that it will remain a principal airline in the Hong Kong and mainland China aviation markets,' the statement said.

Cathay Pacific currently holds a 17.79 pct stake in DragonAir, while its controlling shareholder Swire Pacific Ltd owns 7.71 pct.

According to earlier reports in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair may be taken over by Air China as part of a consolidation plan for Hong Kong's two main airlines.

hkskyline

April 11th, 2006, 04:41 AM

CITIC Pacific says may cut stake in Cathay Pacific

HONG KONG, April 11 (Reuters) - Substantial shareholder CITIC Pacific Ltd. may cut its stake in Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. as part of a plan to adjust complex airline holdings involving Air China and Dragonair, the companies said in a joint statement.

CITIC said it intended "to remain in the long term a significant shareholder in Cathay Pacific", while Swire Pacific Ltd. also said it intended "to remain the principal shareholder in Cathay Pacific in the long term."

Air China Ltd. said in the same statement it had "no current intention" to privatise China National Aviation Co. Ltd.

The statement did not give details of their shareholdings but according to Reuters data Swire Pacific held 46.3 percent of Cathay Pacific at the end of 2005 and CITIC Pacific owned 25.4 percent. Air China held 68.4 percent of China National Aviation as in June 2005.

Hong Kong-based Dragonair is 43.29 percent owned by China National Aviation Co., while Hong Kong's dominant carrier Cathay Pacific has a 17.79 percent stake. CITIC Pacific holds 28.50 percent and Swire Pacific has a 7.71 percent stake.

Air China, Cathay Pacific, China National Aviation, CITIC Pacific, and Swire Pacific said in the joint statement they were in talks about operational cooperation between Cathay Pacific and Air China, and about realignment of shareholdings in Cathay Pacific, Air China and Dragonair.

The companies said there was no agreement or arrangement which was discloseable under listing rules.

Air China said its talks with Cathay Pacific were aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two airlines in various business and operational areas. (US$=HK$7.8)

MirageBistro

April 11th, 2006, 08:08 AM

intriguing

hkskyline

April 12th, 2006, 01:42 AM

Cathay open to Dragonair stake sale
Prospect of open skies in China could see carrier sell 17.8pc stake to gain access to more destinations
12 April 2006
South China Morning Post

Cathay Pacific Airways prefers to sell its 17.8 per cent stake in Hong Kong Dragon Airlines in exchange for better time slots in Beijing and Shanghai, as well as more lucrative ticketing arrangements with its mainland counterparts, according to company sources.

The likelihood of Cathay selling its 16-year-old interest in Dragonair has gained credence amid talk that mainland aviation authorities are about to open its skies to local airlines.

Cathay, China National Aviation Corp (CNAC), Citic Pacific, Air China and Swire Pacific have been in talks since March last year on the possible restructuring of their cross-shareholdings.

Flights by Cathay and Dragonair to China are governed by the "one-route-two-airlines" agreement, allowing both airlines to share certain routes, such as Cathay's only flights to Xiamen and Beijing.

However, analysts and industry players expect mainland and Hong Kong aviation authorities to agree to an open-skies policy, possibly announcing such a deal at the end of their current round of talks today in Hong Kong.

"If the one-route-two-airlines policy is abandoned, Dragonair will lose its privileged access to the mainland. As a result, there is little strategic value for Cathay to keep its Dragonair stake," said sources close to Cathay's senior management.

Karen Chan, a transport analyst for CSFB, said Cathay wanted more access to mainland destinations and eliminate competition from Dragonair.

Cathay spokeswoman Carolyn Leung Yuet-fong declined to comment on the rumoured stake sale. Cathay's annual report does not detail the valuation of its stake in Dragonair or its profit contribution.

Analysts have been citing two possible scenarios for Cathay's mainland operations. In one of these strategies, Cathay could buy Citic's entire 28.5 per cent stake in Dragonair, pushing its shareholding to 46.3 per cent - higher than CNAC's 43 per cent interest. Air China, which owns 69 per cent of CNAC, will then buy part of Citic's stake in Cathay. Citic owns 26 per cent of Cathay, while Swire has 46 per cent.

Sources said the most likely scenario now was for Cathay to sell its stake in Dragonair to CNAC in return for better time slots to Beijing and, hopefully, Shanghai.

"CNAC had promised to provide Cathay some better time slots in Beijing. However, CNAC does not control the time slots in Shanghai," a source said.

Sources said Cathay might also ask for better ticketing arrangements with its mainland counterparts. Called inter-lining, this agreement allows Cathay's passengers on its Xiamen or Beijing flights to fly on to another mainland destination on a local airline. The local airline usually sells tickets for such flights at a discount, reportedly as much as 70 per cent for Dragonair, but only 30 per cent for Cathay.

Sources said Cathay would probably demand a higher inter-line discount in exchange for selling its Dragonair stake to CNAC.

Yang Yuanyuan, minister of the General Administration of Civil Aviation of China, promised last month to give Hong Kong airlines greater freedom to fly to the mainland. In return, mainland airlines could enjoy fifth freedom rights in Hong Kong, allowing them to pick up and drop off passengers and cargo bound for other international destinations.

hkskyline

April 12th, 2006, 06:47 AM

By "97/98/99 B-Line" from HKADB :

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v442/billlmf/B-HUO.jpg

hkskyline

April 25th, 2006, 01:28 AM

24 April 2006
Corporate Press Release
Statement on CX313 Incident on 21 April

Cathay Pacific Airways today clarified reports concerning an incident involving CX313 at Beijing International Capital Airport on Friday evening 21 April, 2006.

The airline confirmed that the Airbus A330 had stopped rather abruptly at the taxiway holding point prior to its scheduled departure for Hong Kong.

This followed an instruction from the Captain to the First Officer to decrease the aircraft’s taxi speed. However, the Captain considered that the aircraft was not slowing down quickly enough and also applied the brakes. Unfortunately, the plane then came to a sudden halt, causing inconvenience to passengers and crew. Several crew members suffered minor injuries, but continued with their duties. The Captain later apologized over the aircraft’s public address system for the inconvenience caused. He also incorrectly informed passengers that the sudden stop had followed an instruction from the airport’s air traffic control authorities.

CX313 was cleared for takeoff in the normal way. The aircraft subsequently proceeded to the runway and left on schedule for Hong Kong.

At no time was there any danger of the aircraft becoming involved in a collision as the plane was behind the designated runway entry line of the taxiway holding point. It was awaiting permission to taxi onto the runway. There was no question that the plane nearly collided with another aircraft coming in to land, as has been suggested.

The airline confirmed that the flight was under the control of a Senior Captain and a Junior First Officer. The Captain was in control of the flight at all times, however, he has been counselled on the appropriate public address announcements to be made to passengers when such incidents occur. The airline also emphasized that all safety and other procedures were followed at all times.

The airline acknowledged that its initial media reporting of the incident had been incomplete, due to the preliminary nature of the information available at the time.

Once again, the airline apologizes to all concerned for any inconvenience or misunderstandings arising from this incident.

Magician

April 25th, 2006, 01:30 AM

Cathay resumes HK-Penang flights after 9-year lapse

April 25 2006

CATHAY Pacific Airways yesterday relaunched the non-stop flight between Hong Kong and Penang with much prom and splendour after a nine-year lapse.

The service was re-introduced following an increase in the number of tourists from Hong Kong and other neighbouring countries to Malaysia and vice-versa as well as changes in market demand over the years.

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd general manager for South-East Asia Patrick Yeung said the company was continuously looking for opportunities to expand itself.

"We are certain that the re- introduction of this flight will not only provide greater connectivity for both business and leisure travellers but will also enhance tourism arrivals in Penang.

"We trust that with the service in place, we will be able to bring in more travellers from Europe, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as meet the increasing demand of business and leisure traffic from Penang and the northern region to China via Hong Kong as the gateway," he told a press conference at the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas.

At the function, Yeung together with Tourism Hospitality Committee chairman Cheang Chee Gooi and Cathay Pacific Airways manager for Penang Mandy Ng also welcomed the first inbound flight from Hong Kong to Penang.

Passengers on board inaugural Flight CX693 were greeted in typical Malaysian welcome and presented with gifts from the airline company as well as the State Tourism Action Council.

Meanwhile, Ng said the service was a sure win-win situation for the airline as well as for Penang.

Cheang, who spoke on behalf of the State Government, said the state authority and the people of Penang welcomed the service.

"We, in Penang, certainly have a lot to offer to our visitors.

"Also, we will look into introducing more tourism products from time to time," he added.

Cheang also revealed that there has been an increase in the number of tourist arrivals in the first quarter of this year compared with the same corresponding period in 2005.

He, however, could not provide actual figures.

The non-stop flight will operate three times weekly from Hong Kong to Penang on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays and from Penang to Hong Kong on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

The existing flight between Hong Kong and Penang via Kuala Lumpur will remain unchanged.

The service, which is scheduled to depart Penang at 8.25am and arrive in Hong Kong at 12.15pm, will enable both business and leisure travellers to have more time in Hong Kong as well as provide seamless connections for passengers going to China, North Asia, Europe and North America.