HONG KONG, 25 July 2025: Passenger and cargo volumes increased in June compared to the same month in 2024, according to Cathay Group’s latest traffic figures.
Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried a combined total of around 2.9 million passengers, 23.3% more than June 2024. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo carried over 130,000 tonnes of cargo, representing a 6.3% increase from June last year.
“Our global network has also continued to expand with five new destinations added in June. In 2025 as a whole, Cathay Pacific and HK Express have announced or launched passenger services to 19 destinations, with additional services to follow. We now operate passenger services to more than 100 destinations worldwide as a Group.”
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific carried 25.2% more passengers in June 2025 compared with June 2024, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 26.2%. In the first six months of 2025, the number of passengers carried increased by 27.8% compared with the same period in 2024.
Lau said: “Cathay Pacific set a new post-pandemic record by carrying over 90,000 passengers on 28 June, while also achieving its highest single-day load factor so far this year of 93.4% on the same day.
“Following a quieter start to the month, demand picked up, supported by various traffic flows, most notably inbound student traffic from the UK and the US. Regionally, while demand for Japan from Hong Kong softened, there was a marked increase in traffic to destinations across Southeast Asia and the Chinese Mainland. The outlook for our long-haul routes continues to be robust for the summer period.”
Cathay Cargo
Cathay Cargo carried 6.3% more cargo in June 2025 than in June 2024. Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 5% while load factor decreased by 1.1 percentage points year on year. In the first six months of 2025, the total tonnage increased by 11.3% compared with the same period in 2024.
Lau noted: “Our cargo business continued to see year-on-year growth in June, largely due to tariff timelines and resulting market behaviour. We observed significant growth in tonnage from Southeast Asia and the Taiwan region to the Americas, driven by both general cargo and high-tech electronics. Our Cathay Pharma solution also performed well across long-haul trade lanes, in particular. For July, we expect demand uncertainties to persist, and we will continue to monitor developments over the coming weeks closely.”
HK Express
HK Express carried more than 580,000 passengers in June 2025, an increase of 16.5% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) grew by 32.1%. In the first six months of 2025, the number of passengers carried increased by 33.5% compared with the same period in 2024.
HK Express continued to expand its network. In addition to launching flights to Cheongju, Daegu, and Miyako (Shimojishima) in June, the airline has also announced new routes to Guiyang, launching at the end of July; Kuala Lumpur (Subang) in early August; and Kota Kinabalu in November. While these new destinations will further enhance the connectivity of our Hong Kong international aviation hub, they require time and investment in market awareness to stimulate demand. Coupled with softened travel demand for Japan, which constitutes a significant share of HK Express’s capacity, this resulted in a significantly reduced load factor in June.
