HONG KONG, 22 September 2026: Despite rising fuel prices, Cathay Group declared positive August travel and cargo results in its traffic figures for August 2026, released last week.
Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau commented: “Driven by robust travel demand during the second half of the summer peak and healthy cargo demand across key markets, our passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express together achieved a new record by carrying more than 3.6 million passengers during the month, up 4% year on year.
Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo carried over 150,000 tonnes of cargo, 9% more than the same period last year.”
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific carried 5% more passengers in August 2026 compared with August 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 3%. In the first eight months of 2026, the number of passengers carried rose 15% compared with the same period in 2025.
Lau said: “The robust demand we saw in July continued into August. Leisure travel remained resilient throughout the month, particularly from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland to various short-haul destinations in our network. We also saw strong student traffic to North America and the United Kingdom towards the end of the month ahead of the start of the new school year. Looking ahead, while September is typically a quieter month for travel, demand is expected to pick up closer to the National Day ‘Golden Week’ holiday period.”
Cathay Cargo
Cathay Cargo carried 150,000 tonnes of cargo, a 9% increase in August 2026 when compared with August 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 1%. In the first eight months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by 8% compared with the same period for 2025.
HK Express
HK Express carried more than 790,000 passengers in August 2026, down 1% year on year, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) rose 3%. In the first eight months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 8% compared with the same period for 2025.
Lau noted: “HK Express’s Chinese Mainland routes remained particularly popular in August, with overall load factor for the Chinese Mainland reaching 90% despite capacity growth. Our newly launched direct service to Wuxi continues to be well received by customers, contributing positively to our Chinese Mainland network’s performance. Looking at September, as expected, travel demand has softened following the summer peak; we remain focused on stimulating demand and leveraging the strength of our network.”
(Source: Cathay Group)
