As said repeatedly here on FMP, Cathay Pacific is arguably the hardest hit airline by the covid induced crisis. The airline had to deal with some of the harshest travel restrictions and is now working hard to make up the lost ground. A market that simply cannot be ignored for Cathay is Australia and New Zealand. There are so many opportunities in the region. Cathay Pacific can offer onwards connectivity to both mainland China for the expat community or to Europe for holidaymakers and VFR travellers. Therefore, it’s unsurprising that the carrier is getting ready to massively ramp up its operations in the two countries. Here’s how and when it’s going to happen.
More Cathay Pacific Flights for Brisbane, Perth, and Auckland
The proof of how Australia and New Zealand are such an important market for Cathay comes in the two press releases announcing flight increases to three major destinations. CX will increase, by the end of the year, its flight volumes to Brisbane, Perth, and Auckland.
Auckland will be getting a major upgrade in its Cathay Pacific flights to Hong Kong. CX will be bringing its current 3 times weekly frequency to a daily one. That means more than doubling seat availability on the route.
Brisbane and Perth will follow suit in a similar fashion. Brisbane will go from four weekly flights to ten while Perth will go from the current 5 to 11.
No aircraft change should be taking place on all three destinations with the frequency change being effective from November 2024 through March 2025.
Finally, Sydney and Melbourne, the remaining destinations in Australia and New Zealand will remain with the current frequency, for now.
Are The Changes Here to Stay?
I’m quite curious to see if these changes will remain in place even after March 2025. I’ll be closely monitoring the Brisbane to Hong Kong Cathay Pacific flight most of all. Queensland has been subsidising airlines heavily to attract new airlines flying into its primary aviation hub: Brisbane.
I’m not sure this increase in flight frequency is also due to this local incentive. However, if it is it might only help maintain the new frequencies only until the cash keeps flowing. If it isn’t the result of subsidies, it can only be explained to transport precious hold cargo. Brisbane, although being a big city, isn’t Australia’s primary business center and Cathay primarily focuses on premium heavy business-oriented travellers.
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