Cathay Pacific lags in catch-up travel

Hong Kong – Cathay Pacific said yesterday it does not expect to return to pre-pandemic levels of travel until the end of 2024, highlighting how long the Hong Kong airline’s return to normality could take.

Hong Kong imposed some of the world’s strictest travel curbs during the coronavirus pandemic and only abandoned compulsory quarantine for all international arrivals in September.

The restrictions closed off what was one of Asia’s once most connected cities and has hammered travel-reliant businesses, including its flagship carrier.

Chief executive Augustus Tang said the airline was “on track to achieve its target of operating up to one third of its pre-pandemic passenger flight capacity levels by the end of 2022”.

If achieved, Tang said that would represent a doubling of capacity since August, the month before more two years of compulsory quarantine rules were lifted.

But the journey back to full capacity remains a long one. Cathay said it hoped to be operating at about 70% “by the end of 2023, with an aim to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2024”.

Tang will be replaced by fellow veteran Cathay executive Ronald Lam on 1 January. While the number of flights to Hong Kong has increased after the government ended compulsory quarantine the airport is still far behind rivals.

Hong Kong’s airport handled 755 000 passengers in October, about 13% of what it used to process before the pandemic hit.

In contrast, rival hub Singapore handled 3.42 million passengers in September, 63% of pre-pandemic levels.