HONG KONG, 10 January 2018: Cathay Pacific will connect Hong Kong with Washington, capital of the United States of America later this year.
It is part of a network expansion that will see the airline launch pioneering nonstop routes.
The airline will commence a four-weekly service to Washington DC in September, which will complement its existing routes to east coast cities Boston and New York’s two main international airports – John F Kennedy and Newark Liberty.
The service to Dulles International Airport, which will become the longest flight in the Cathay Pacific network, (7,085 nautical miles, 8,153 miles, 13,122 kilometres), will be operated by the new Airbus A350-1000 aircraft.
Cathay Pacific chief executive officer, Rupert Hogg, said that the new service has been introduced to cater to growing demand for travel to the Capital Region of the USA, while at the same time providing US-based passengers with more convenient access to key destinations in Asia and beyond through the airline’s home in Hong Kong.
“Our customers have told us they want greater options and increased flexibility – and we’ve listened,” said Hogg. “Much like Hong Kong, Washington DC is a vibrant and dynamic destination and we are thrilled to soon be providing the only direct flights between these two great cities.
“Establishing new direct air links to destinations that aren’t already served from Hong Kong enhances our city’s status as Asia’s largest international hub and allows us to secure new and important sources of revenue,” he added.
Governor of Virginia Terry McAuliffe welcomed the new route and praised the role it would play in helping to grow the local economy.
“Today we celebrate a new bridge between Asia and Virginia, and we look forward to welcoming all of the international travellers this new air service will bring to the Commonwealth,” said Governor McAuliffe.
2018 is set to be one of Cathay Pacific’s most significant years in terms of network expansion and capacity growth. In addition to Washington DC, the airline will launch year-round services to Brussels and Dublin in March and June respectively.
A seasonal service to Copenhagen commences in May, while Cathay Dragon, the regional carrier of the Cathay Pacific Group, will start a four-times-weekly operation to Nanning in mainland China later this month. Frequencies on a number of Cathay Pacific’s most popular existing routes, including Barcelona and Tel Aviv, are also being increased in 2018.
Cathay Pacific already has one of the youngest long-haul fleets in the sky – and with the arrival of the first of its 20 Airbus A350-1000 aircraft in the spring of next year, the fleet is only going to get younger. Like the smaller A350-900, the A350-1000 brings together the very latest in aerodynamics, design and advanced technologies to provide improved fuel efficiency and a state-of-the-art travel experience for customers.
Washington DC service from 15 September 2018 
Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragons provide flights to connect passengers from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Phuket to Hong Kong with flights departing from Bangkok to Hong Kong on an average of eight to nine flights a day, two daily flights from Phuket and from one flight daily from Chiang Mai.
