HONG KONG, 22 May 2026: Passenger and cargo demand continued to be robust, but jet fuel prices remained at highly elevated levels according to the Cathay Group’s traffic figures for April 2026.
Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau commented: “April continued to present a mixed picture. Travel demand was robust, and passenger load factors were high, driven by holiday and seasonal travel, while cargo volumes were healthy. However, jet fuel prices remained at highly elevated levels amidst the ongoing Middle East situation, increasing cost pressures. We are remaining agile in our response and continue to monitor the developments closely.”
Looking ahead to the summer travel peak, Cathay Pacific and HK Express will maintain July and August flight schedules.
“In view of softened travel demand to the Middle East in the near term, we have decided to extend the suspension of Cathay Pacific’s passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh until the end of August and redeploy the capacity to routes where customer demand is keen, such as Manchester and Rome. From a passenger capacity perspective, we remain on track to reach our 2026 growth target of around 10% despite the small number of cancellations announced previously for May and June,” said Lau.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific carried 17% more passengers in April 2026 compared with April 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 15%. In the first four months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 19% compared with the same period in 2025.
Lavinia noted: “The robust load factor we achieved in April was driven by strong leisure travel demand, particularly in the first half of the month, coinciding with the Easter holidays and seasonal travel. This was followed by notable long-haul demand into our home hub in the middle of April, boosted by the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens. Then, towards the end of the month, ‘Golden Week’ pre-holiday demand stimulated inbound traffic to Hong Kong as well as outbound travel to various destinations across our network. Demand for our premium cabins was robust, with major exhibitions and trade events in Hong Kong continuing to attract business travellers from across our network.
“Looking ahead, demand is expected to remain resilient, supported by seasonal leisure travel and event-driven traffic. That said, we have seen a slight shift in booking behaviour, with some customers booking closer to their departure dates, alongside broader market uncertainties.”
Cathay Cargo
Cathay Cargo carried 8% more cargo in April 2026 than in April 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 7%. In the first four months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 8% compared with the same period in 2025.
HK Express
HK Express carried close to 730,000 passengers in April 2026, an increase of 5% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) grew by 7%. In the first four months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 14% compared with the same period in 2025.
“In April, HK Express continued to record passenger growth, supported by strong load factors on its Thailand routes as well as routes to secondary cities in Northeast Asia. For May and beyond, bookings remain ahead of the same period last year on most routes,” Lau concluded.
(Source: Cathay Pacific)
