The news around Adelaide and its airports has been buzzing in the last week or so. The airport in South Australia has been center of attention for Qantas which has recently reveled its new Domestic Business Lounge located in Adelaide while also announcing it will be launching a summer seasonal flight to Auckland. Set to takeoff in the same time of the year is another flight, much longer though, to Hong Kong International Airport, by Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific’s New Expansion in Australia With Its Sixth Flight
Cathay Pacific among the major international carriers took its time to get things back to its usual pace following 2020. Not for faults of its own, the airline had to cope with many restrictions imposed from the central Chinese government in terms of air travel and borders. However, with those initial hiccups in the past the airline encouraged by positive financial results has started to move rapidly and with a bullish attitude to the market.
Australia, its no secret, is a strategic market for any airline which offers connecting flights to Europe or the US. Economic and social ties ensure and endless stream of passengers on such routes. Therefore, it only makes sense for Cathay Pacific to further expand it presence in the Australian air travel market with new flights.
Adelaide will become the Hong Kong based airline’s sixth destination in Australia, following those to:
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Perth
- Brisbane
- Cairns (Seasonal)
Just as the last flight of the list, Hong Kong to Cairns, the Adelaide flight too will be a seasonal service. Flights will operated during the Australian summer months when the market hits peak demand particularly for outbound traffic.
The new flight, numbered CX173, will operate from November 11th 2025 to March 27th 2026. For the time being we know the service will operate during this winter season but have no hint of it being confirmed next year. I’d imagine traffic data will dictate that decision.
When And How Is Flight CX173 Hong Kong to Adelaide Going to Operate?
Off the bat the flight will have 3 weekly frequencies. Cathay isn’t going all-in with a daily service on this new unproven route. A way to test the waters and then possibly commit more capacity if demand proves to be strong on the Adelaide to Hong Kong route. Flights will operate from Adelaide to Hong Kong every (a day before for the inverse route):
- Wednesday
- Friday
- Sunday
Flight CX173 and CX174 will be operated using some of the most modern aircraft in the Cathay Pacific fleet, the A350-900s. They feature an extremely comfortable business class, albeit not the latest Aria Suites, Premium Economy and Economy class in this layout:
- 38 Business class seats in a reverse herringbone 1-2-1 layout
- 28 Premium Economy seats in a 2-4-2 layout
- 214 Economy Class seats in a 3-3-3 layout
As for the timings:
- CX173: Departs Hong Kong (HKG) at 23:30, arrives the next morning in Adelaide (ADL) at 10:30.
- CX174: Departs Adelaide (ADL) at 12:00 arriving into Hong Kong (HKG) at 17:40.
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