It seems like a long time ago that there were concerns about Cathay Pacific’s future as COVID took hold of global aviation.
As an airline with no domestic network to fall back on, Cathay’s future was well and truly dependant on a post-pandemic rebound.
Its performance since COVID has blown many expectations out of the water, with the carrier climbing up the ladder on multiple airline awards lists around the world.
So, what was the key to the airline’s new wave of energy? Traveltalk asked the airline’s Regional General Manager Southwest Pacific, Frosti Lau.
Q: Cathay had some tough times post COVID. When do you think it turned the corner?
A: Hong Kong opened its borders later than the rest of the world and this, of course, had an impact on our restart as an airline. Since these borders opened, we have actively been working to move customers around the world through our hub in Hong Kong.
Many of our Customer Experience investment decisions were made during the pandemic to ensure we would be able to stay aligned with the customers’ expectations as we go along the network rebuild journey.
We have been meticulously planning our return to ensure that we have enough aircraft, pilots, crews and wider team to make the journey from start to finish a positive experience for all our customers.
In 2024 we have announced the retrofit of our 777-300ERs coming later this year and have seen the last of the Cathay Pacific aircraft leave storage in Alice Springs, bringing our fleet back up to full numbers.
Q: What does Cathay do that is unique to the industry and that gives it an edge?
A: Cathay enjoys a unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong and connecting the world. Our super-efficient home hub, Hong Kong, is within a five-hour flight of half the world’s population and is situated within the vibrant Greater Bay Area, providing seamless access to destinations on the Chinese mainland.
With the news of 15-day visa-free travel for Australians into China, this will be an important connection for many looking to do business, see loved ones and travel for leisure.
We also have an extensive network that connects with a multitude of popular business and travel destinations within Asia and around the world through our hub, along with those through our membership in the oneworld Alliance.
Of course, our people are our greatest strength – they are the beating heart of the award-winning service that we provide our customers and we continue to take major steps to enhance our customers’ experiences.
Q: Singapore Airlines is often seen as the market leader from the Asia region in terms of customer satisfaction. Is this a title that Cathay is actively chasing?
A: Cathay Pacific has been a key player in the premium space. We were recently awarded our fifth ‘World’s Best Airline’ in the 2024 Skytrax World Airline Awards and named the third best premium airline in the world in AirlineRatings’ rankings earlier this year.
But we won’t stop there and there’s more to come from Cathay Pacific. We are always striving to become one of the world’s greatest service brands and we continue listening to customers to improve our product and services to best serve those flying with us.
Q: What is your personal favourite thing about flying Cathay?
A: I love the great Chinese red wine selection we have onboard along with our award-winning inflight entertainment to catch up on the latest movies and series.
Q: What is next for the airline to maintain its upward trajectory in the industry?
A: There is a lot happening at Cathay Pacific over the next few years. Some of the highlights include:
- Launching new seat products in each of the coming three years, starting with the new business class Aria Suite, new premium economy and a refreshed economy on our redesigned Boeing 777-300ERs later this year. These have been developed with the customer experience front of mind, resulting in a human-centric design.
- We are continuing to bring back and expand our network. Locally, we have just announced we are bringing back our Cairns service seasonally with three flights per week and all active Australian ports (Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth) will be back to pre-pandemic flight levels from November.
- Come October, we will be celebrating our 50th anniversary of SYD-HKG direct route.
- We will also be launching newly designed flagship lounges in Hong Kong, Beijing and for the first time, a dedicated Cathay Pacific lounge in New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport.
