HONG KONG, 8 August 2024: The Cathay Group has committed more than HKD100 billion in investments over the next seven years as part of its bold strategy to elevate its customer experience and strengthen Hong Kong’s international aviation hub status riding on the Three-Runway System. 

This encompasses major investments in its fleet, cabin products, lounges, and digital and sustainability leadership as it sets its sights on growing for its customers, its people and its home, Hong Kong.

Cathay Group Chair Patrick Healy said: “With the Three-Runway System soon to propel Hong Kong’s aviation sector into a new age, the coming years will be an incredibly exciting time for Hong Kong and Cathay with ample new opportunities to grow.

“As the city’s home airline, we are a key contributor towards the future success of the Hong Kong international aviation hub. Our substantial investments further demonstrate our unwavering commitment to fostering Hong Kong’s ongoing economic development.

“With over HKD100 billion being invested in our fleet, cabin products, airport lounges and more, we are firmly turning the page and embarking on a bold new strategy for the future, not just in scope but also in quality. Cathay is entering an exciting new era underpinned by our determination to become one of the world’s greatest service brands.”

Spreading its wings

This investment includes Wednesday’s announcement that Cathay will purchase 30 Airbus A330-900 aircraft and has the right to acquire an additional 30 aircraft. Delivery of the new regional widebody aircraft will start in 2028 and will primarily serve destinations in Asia.

Cathay now has more than 100 new-generation aircraft in its delivery pipeline, with the right to acquire over 80 additional aircraft in future. With orders covering narrowbody, regional widebody, long-haul widebody, and large freighter aircraft, these investments promise to modernise and expand Cathay’s fleet, taking it to the next level. 

Furthermore, their enhanced fuel efficiency will be important in reducing carbon emissions and helping Cathay achieve its carbon net-zero by 2050 goal.

Cathay Pacific, the premium airline within the group, will phase in new cabin products over three years, starting with an all-new Aria Suite, Premium Economy, and refreshed economy cabin on its redesigned Boeing 777-300ER aircraft later this year. 

A world-leading first-class experience onboard its 777-9s will launch in 2025, followed by a new cabin and flat-bed business-class product on its existing A330 aircraft in 2026.

In addition to new cabin products, complimentary Wi-Fi will be progressively offered to business-class customers and Diamond members in the coming months. This will augment the airline’s ongoing investments in dining and inflight entertainment.

On the ground, Cathay Pacific will be launching newly designed flagship lounges in Hong Kong and Beijing, and, for the first time, a dedicated lounge in New York over the next three years.

A solid rebuilding journey 

Wednesday’s investment announcement comes as Cathay reports its interim results for 2024. As a Group, Cathay reported an attributable profit of HKD3.6 billion in the first half of 2024, compared with HKD4.3 billion in the first half of 2023.

Cathay’s airlines and subsidiaries, excluding exceptional items, reported an attributable profit of HKD3.8 billion in the first half of the year, compared to HKD4.8 billion in the first half of 2023. The year-on-year reduction is principally attributable to the normalisation of ticket prices.

Meanwhile, the results from associates, the majority of which are recognised three months in arrears, reflected an attributable loss of HKD342 million, compared with a loss of HKD2.6 billion in the first half of 2023.

Eighteen months after starting its rebuilding journey, Cathay has fully repaid the HKD19.5 billion preference shares investment and paid HKD2.44 billion in dividends to the Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) Government over its holding period. Meanwhile, Cathay announced its first interim dividend to ordinary shareholders, totalling approximately HKD1.3 billion. This is after Cathay paid its ordinary shareholders HKD2.8 billion in dividends for 2023.

All aircraft have returned from long-term parking, and Cathay remains on track to reach 100% of its pre-pandemic flights within the first quarter of 2025 as planned. To support that pace of growth, Cathay is making good progress by increasing its group headcount by 5,000 people this year to 29,000.

Cathay strives to build Hong Kong as an international aviation hub that connects people to the most exciting places in the world. Combined, the two airlines, Cathay Pacific and HK Express, currently fly to more than 80 passenger destinations across the globe, and this number is expected to rise to 100 by 2025. So far, in 2024, 10 new destinations have already been announced, eight of which have commenced services, with Riyadh and Cairns coming later this year.