Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, alongside sister airline HK Express, has announced a raft of frequency increases across 20 destinations on the Chinese mainland to cater to rising demand between the two territories. The two carriers between them will offer around 300 flights per week as the airlines increase capacity on key routes from their Hong Kong hub. This represents an almost 40% increase over the summer peak of 2024.
Announced on March 27, 2025, the Cathay Group said that it will focus the main thrust of its Chinese expansion on the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Yangtze River Delta regions, both of which are “major national strategic areas”. Elsewhere, the carrier will continue to boost flight capacity and coordinate flight schedules to maintain a high frequency of passenger services to the major Chinese population and commercial centers of Beijing and Shanghai. Meanwhile, the Group will also be increasing flight frequencies to other key Chinese mainland cities to “meet the significant demand for leisure and business travel.”
In more detail, Beijing will receive seven daily flights between Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK), together with a daily flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) operated by HK Express. This brings the total number of flights to Beijing to 56, spread between the city’s two major airports.
Services to Shanghai, meanwhile, will increase to eight daily return flights between HKG and Shanghai-Pudong International Airport (PVG), along with a further 11 return flights per week to Shanghai-Hongqiao International Airport (SHA). In total, Cathay Pacific will operate 67 return flights per week between Hong Kong and Shanghai.
Flights to Zhengzhou, Ningbo, Haikou, and Chongqing will increase from four return flights per week to a daily service, with HK Express also operating daily flights to Ningbo in the summer of 2025. Elsewhere, flights to Hangzhou will increase to four return flights per day, flights to Nanjing will increase to twice per day, flights to Wenzhou will increase to 10 per week, and flights to Wuhan will increase to 12 per week. In addition, Cathay Pacific has announced it will be launching direct flights between Hong Kong and Urumqi from April 28, 2025.
“We are delighted to be expanding our flight schedule in the Chinese Mainland this summer with services to 20 passenger destinations and increased frequencies on many of our popular routes,” said Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau. “With our unique position of having deep roots in Hong Kong, being proudly part of China, and connecting the world, we are committed to providing a seamless travel experience for our customers whether they are flying to, from, or via our home hub.”
In addition to enhancing connectivity between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, the Cathay Group will also be expanding its global network to further enhance Hong Kong as a major international aviation hub. The Group is adding flights to 13 destinations to its network in 2025, including Hyderabad, Dallas, Rome, Munich, and Brussels to be served by Cathay Pacific, with Sendai, Nha Trang, Ishigaki, Komatsu, Cheongju, Daegu, and Miyako-Shimojishima being new destinations for HK Express.
In all, the Cathay Group says it will operate passenger services to more than 100 destinations in 2025. HK Express operates an all-Airbus fleet of 41 aircraft which includes six A320-200s, ten A320neos, 13 A321-200s, and 12 A321neos. The carrier also has a further 21 A320neo family aircraft on order.