History of Cathay Pacific in Timeline
Cathay Pacific is Hong Kong's flag carrier, headquartered and based at Hong Kong International Airport. It provides scheduled passenger and cargo services to over 190 destinations in more than 60 countries worldwide, encompassing codeshares and joint ventures. The airline plays a significant role in connecting Hong Kong to the global aviation network.
1945: First Aircraft Purchased
In 1945, Farrell purchased the airline's first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3 nicknamed Betsy, at Bush Field, New York City.
May 1946: Relocation to Hong Kong
On 11 May 1946, the company relocated to Hong Kong due to instances of planes being detained by authorities in Shanghai.
August 1946: Sister Company Incorporated
On 28 August 1946, The Roy Farrell Export Import Company (Hong Kong) Limited, a sister company, was incorporated and chartered some flights from Cathay.
September 1946: Cathay Pacific Founded
In September 1946, Cathay Pacific was founded by Australian Sydney H. de Kantzow and American Roy C. Farrell.
1947: Fleet Expansion
By 1947, Cathay Pacific had expanded its fleet by adding another five DC-3s and two Vickers Catalina seaplanes.
1948: New Shareholders
In 1948, a new legal entity of Cathay Pacific Airways was incorporated with John Swire & Sons, China Navigation Company, and Australian National Airways as the new shareholders, acquiring the assets from the old entity. The old legal person was renamed into Cathay Pacific Holdings.
January 1950: Freight Services Begin
On 28 January 1950, Cathay Pacific began freight services from Sydney to Shanghai. It was its first commercial flight, a shipment of Australian goods.
1950: HAECO Established
In 1950, HAECO, a major aeroplane repair service company in Hong Kong, was established under Swire.
1951: de Kantzow Leaves Airline
de Kantzow remained with Cathay Pacific until 1951 under Swire's management.
July 1, 1959: Acquisition of Hong Kong Airways
On July 1, 1959, Cathay Pacific acquired Hong Kong Airways.
1959: Acquisition of Hong Kong Airways
In 1959, Cathay Pacific acquired Hong Kong Airways, becoming the dominant airline in Hong Kong.
1962: Double Digit Growth
Between 1962 and 1967, the airline recorded double digit growth on average every year and became one of the world's first airlines to operate international services to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka in Japan.
1964: One Millionth Passenger and First Jet
In 1964, Cathay Pacific carried its one millionth passenger and acquired its first jet engine aircraft, the Convair 880.
1967: All-Jet Airline
In 1967, Cathay Pacific became an all-jet airline with the replacement of its last Lockheed L-188 Electra with a Convair 880.
June 1971: "Lettuce leaf sandwich" livery debut
From June 1971, Cathay Pacific aircraft featured a "lettuce leaf sandwich" livery in Brunswick green and white over bare metal, displaying the British flag on the empennage.
1971: First Boeing 707
In 1971, Cathay Pacific Airways received its first Boeing 707-320B aircraft.
1972: Five 707s in Fleet
By 1972, Cathay Pacific had five 707s. The new aircraft color was known as Brunswick green.
1972: No hull loss or loss of life since 1972
Cathay Pacific has had some incidents and accidents over its history, although none have resulted in a hull loss or loss of life since 1972.
1974: Almost Purchased DC-10
In 1974, Cathay Pacific considered purchasing the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 to open a new flight route, but the application was rejected.
1979: First Boeing 747 Acquired
In 1979, Cathay Pacific acquired its first Boeing 747.
1980: First Flight to London
In 1980, Cathay Pacific applied for traffic rights to fly to London, with the first flight taking place on 16 July.
1982: Introduction of Cathay Pacific Cargo
In 1982, Cathay Pacific Airways introduced Cathay Pacific Cargo, which provided cargo service to initiate the trend of Hong Kong becoming one of the largest re-export trading ports of the world. The airline's long-haul dedicated cargo services started a twice a week with Hong Kong-Frankfurt-London service operated jointly with Lufthansa.
1983: Service to Vancouver
Cathay Pacific kept its service to Vancouver in 1983.
1986: Service to San Francisco
Cathay Pacific added service on to San Francisco in 1986, when an industry-wide boom encouraged route growth to many European and North American centres including London, Brisbane, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Zurich and Manchester.
January 1990: Dragonair Shareholding
In January 1990, Cathay Pacific and Swire Pacific acquired a significant shareholding in Dragonair.
November 1994: "Lettuce leaf sandwich" livery discontinued
Until November 1994, Cathay Pacific aircraft featured a "lettuce leaf sandwich" livery in Brunswick green and white over bare metal, displaying the British flag on the empennage.
1994: Air Hong Kong Stake and Image Upgrade
In 1994, Cathay Pacific acquired a 75% stake in Air Hong Kong and launched a program to upgrade its passenger service, including a HK$23 million program to update its image. Its logo was updated in 1994.
1994: Brushwing logo introduction
In 1994, Cathay Pacific introduced the brushwing logo, featuring a calligraphic stroke against a green background, replacing the previous green and white striped logo used since the early 1970s.
1996: CITIC Pacific Increased Holdings
In 1996, CITIC Pacific increased its holdings in Cathay Pacific from 10% to 25%, and two other Chinese companies also bought substantial holdings, while the Swire Group holding was reduced to 44%.
May 1998: Boeing 777-300 Delivery
On 21 May 1998, Cathay Pacific took the first delivery of the Boeing 777-300 at a ceremony in Everett.
July 1998: Managing Director title change
Before 1 July 1998, Cathay Pacific's chief executive officers were referred to as Managing Directors.
July 1998: Airport Transition
In July 1998, Cathay Pacific operated its last flight from Kai Tak International Airport to London Heathrow Airport and began flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to the new Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport.
September 1998: Cathay City construction
Cathay City, Cathay Pacific's head office located at Hong Kong International Airport, was scheduled for phased construction between April and September 1998.
September 1998: Oneworld Alliance Founding
On 21 September 1998, Cathay Pacific, along with other airlines, co-founded the Oneworld airline alliance.
October 1998: Philippine Airlines Takeover
Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the domestic and international operations of Philippine Airlines during its two-week shutdown from 26 September to 7 October 1998.
2000: Record Profit
Cathay Pacific recorded a record HK$5 billion profit in 2000.
2000: Labour Relations Issues
In the year 2000, Cathay Pacific experienced labour relations issues while completing the acquisition of Dragonair.
July 2001: Pilot Firings
On 9 July 2001, Cathay Pacific fired 49 of its 1,500 pilots, who became known as "the 49ers".
2001: Aftermath of Pilot Firings
Following the dismissal of the 49 pilots in 2001, Cathay Pacific later offered them the chance to reapply for pilot positions with its cargo division.
2001: "Work to Rule" Campaign
In 2001, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA) launched a "work to rule" campaign to further its campaign for pay improvements and changes to roster scheduling practices, leading to flight cancellations.
September 2006: Shareholding realignment
On 28 September 2006, Cathay Pacific underwent a shareholding realignment, making Dragonair a wholly owned subsidiary. CNAC and Air China acquired a 17.5 percent stake in Cathay Pacific, which in turn doubled its shareholding in Air China to 17.5 percent. CITIC Pacific and Swire Group reduced their shareholdings to 17.5 percent and 40 percent respectively.
2006: Cathay Pacific 60th Anniversary Skyshow
In 2006, to celebrate the airline's 60th anniversary, Cathay Pacific held a year of roadshows named the "Cathay Pacific 60th Anniversary Skyshow", introducing anniversary merchandise and in-flight meals served by restaurants in Hong Kong.
2007: Introduction of self-check-in methods
Beginning in 2007, Cathay Pacific introduced various methods for flight check-in, including self-check-in kiosks at Hong Kong International Airport and mobile phone check-in.
2007: Economy Class seat variations
Since 2007, Cathay Pacific had introduced five types of economy class seats, varying across its aircraft fleet.
June 2008: Cathay Pacific fined for price-fixing
In June 2008, Cathay Pacific entered a plea bargain with the United States Department of Justice in respect of antitrust investigations over air cargo price-fixing agreements, and was fined US$60 million.
July 2008: Fixed back design Economy Class seats
In July 2008, Cathay Pacific introduced fixed back design Economy Class seats designed by B/E Aerospace on aircraft with refurbished long-haul interiors.
September 2008: Financial troubles for top global accounts
In September 2008, three of Cathay Pacific's top ten global accounts, Lehmann Brothers, AIG and Merrill Lynch, encountered financial troubles.
March 2009: Record full-year loss reported
In March 2009, the airline reported a record full-year loss of HK$8.56 billion for 2008, the carrier's first since the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, including fuel-hedging losses of HK$7.6 billion and a price-fixing fine.
November 2009: Legal Success for Pilots
On 11 November 2009, 18 of the 49ers succeeded in the Hong Kong Court of First Instance concerning their joint claims for breach of contract, breach of the Employment Ordinance, and defamation.
2009: Paper fuel hedging gain
In 2009, the flattening out of fuel prices resulted in Cathay Pacific recording a paper fuel hedging gain for its half-year reports, though the Group still reported an operating loss due to the global economic situation.
March 2010: Tony Tyler Leaves as CEO
On 31 March 2010, Tony Tyler left his position as CEO at the airline to pursue his new job at the IATA, with chief operating officer John Slosar succeeding as the new CEO.
December 2010: Appeal Court Overturns Judgement
On 24 December 2010, the Court of Appeal overturned the judgment of the lower court to the extent that the claim for wrongful termination of the contract was dismissed. The finding that Cathay Pacific wrongly sacked the 18 pilots for their union activities was upheld. The defamation claim was also upheld but damages were reduced.
2010: Passenger and Cargo Transport
In 2010, Cathay Pacific, Cathay Cargo, and Cathay Dragon transported nearly 27 million passengers and over 1.8 million tons of cargo and mail.
January 2011: Adoption of e-air waybill
On 4 January 2011, Cathay Pacific Cargo became the first airline operating out of Hong Kong to fully switch to e-air waybills, eliminating paper documents when issuing air waybills.
March 2011: Book Launch
On 25 March 2011, Captain John Warham, leader of the 49er Plaintiffs, launched a book titled The 49ers – The True Story.
2011: New business class seat introduced
In 2011, Cathay Pacific introduced a new business class seat featuring reverse herringbone seating in a 1-2-1 configuration that converts into a fully flat bed.
March 2012: Premium Economy Class introduced
In March 2012, Cathay Pacific introduced a premium economy class featuring increased seat pitch, wider seats, and additional amenities.
March 2012: Updated economy class seats introduced
In March 2012, Cathay Pacific updated its economy class seats, replacing the older fixed back design with seats that have a six-inch recline.
August 2012: Case heard by Court of Final Appeal
In August 2012, the case regarding wrongful termination of contract and defamation damages was heard by the Court of Final Appeal.
September 2012: Court rules in favor of the 49ers
On 26 September 2012, the court ruled in favor of the 49ers on the prime issues of their legal case: breach of contract, breach of the Employment Ordinance, and defamation.
2012: StudioCX system launched
In 2012, Cathay Pacific launched the StudioCX in-flight entertainment system, now found only in unrefurbished A330s.
2012: Older Economy Class seat replaced
In 2012, Cathay Pacific replaced the older long-haul Economy Class seats.
2014: Network expansion
In 2014, the airline underwent the largest network expansion in recent years which included the addition of links to Manchester, Zurich and Boston.
November 1, 2015: Refreshed livery unveiled
On November 1, 2015, Cathay Pacific unveiled a refreshed version of its previous livery, featuring a simpler paint scheme with the trademark brushwing on an all-green tail, first shown on a Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPM).
January 2016: Dragonair rebranded as Cathay Dragon
In January 2016, Cathay Pacific announced it was rebranding Dragonair as Cathay Dragon.
September 2016: Fuel surcharge reintroduced
From 15 September 2016, Cathay Pacific decided to reintroduce fuel surcharge on many flights after its half-year net profits dropped more than 80% and it suffered HK$4.5 billion loss from wrong bets on fuel prices.
2016: Passenger yields fall, profit forecast scrapped
During the first half of 2016, Cathay Pacific's passenger yields fell 10 per cent. In October, Cathay Pacific scrapped its profit forecast for the second half of the year.
2016: 70th Anniversary
In 2016, Cathay Pacific celebrated its 70th anniversary.
2016: New Premium Economy seat introduced
In 2016, Cathay Pacific introduced a new Premium Economy seat on its Airbus A350-900 fleet, featuring a 12.1-inch HD PTV and improved seat pitch.
2016: Refreshed reverse herringbone seat
In 2016, Cathay Pacific introduced a refreshed reverse herringbone seat designed by Porsche Design on its new Airbus A350s, featuring HD personal televisions and additional storage space.
2016: New entertainment system launched
In 2016, following the introduction of the new A350-900, Cathay Pacific launched a new in-flight entertainment system with a modern design and expanded content.
December 2017: Ownership Structure
As of 31 December 2017, Swire Group owned 45% of Cathay Pacific Airways through its subsidiary Swire Pacific Limited, making it the largest shareholder. Swire Group also had a shareholders' agreement with Air China, the second largest shareholder.
2017: Investment in hard product and digital offerings
In 2017, Cathay Pacific invested in an upgraded website, new and refurbished lounges, including a yoga studio at The Pier – Business in Hong Kong and introduced Wi-Fi across the fleet.
2017: New routes, service changes
In 2017, Cathay Pacific launched 13 new routes and introduced service changes including hot meals on the Hong Kong to Taipei route, redesigned inflight menus with famous Hong Kong dishes, and revamped Business Class service.
2017: Boeing 777s retrofitted with Recaro CL3710 seats
In 2017, Cathay Pacific retrofitted all Boeing 777s with Recaro CL3710 seats in economy class, changing the configuration to 10 abreast.
2017: StudioCX introduction updated
In 2017, the introduction of the StudioCX entertainment system was updated by Cathay Pacific.
2018: Airline Ranking
In 2018, Cathay Pacific was the 19th-largest airline group in the world ranked by traffic.
2018: 2021 Economy Class similar to 2018 version
In 2021, Cathay Pacific introduced its 2021 Economy Class, identical to the 2018 version but with upgrades like a 4K resolution in-flight entertainment system. The 2021 Economy Class is similar to the 2018 version.
March 2019: Acquisition of HK Express announced
On 27 March 2019, Cathay Pacific officially announced it would acquire HK Express, the only low-cost carrier in Hong Kong.
2019: Employees participate in Hong Kong protests
During the 2019–20 Hong Kong protests, Cathay Pacific employees participated in protests. Several employees were later suspended or terminated.
March 2020: Fine issued by British Information Commissioner's Office
In March 2020, Cathay Pacific was fined £500,000 by the British Information Commissioner's Office for the 2018 data breach.
April 2020: HKExpress suspends flight operations
In April 2020, HKExpress, Cathay Pacific's subsidiary, suspended all flight operations from 23 March to 30 April 2020, due to reduced demand from the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 2020: First aircraft withdrawn from service
In June 2020, the first aircraft with the refreshed livery, a Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPM), was withdrawn from service amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
June 2020: Recapitalisation plan announced
On 10 June 2020, Cathay Pacific and the Government of Hong Kong jointly announced a HK$39 billion recapitalisation plan and rescue package for Cathay Pacific.
October 2020: Cathay Pacific shuts down Cathay Dragon
On 21 October 2020, Cathay Pacific announced it would shut down all operations of Cathay Dragon and merge it with its parent company due to economic issues brought by the COVID-19 pandemic.
December 2020: Expected higher losses in second half
In December 2020, Cathay Pacific said that it expected losses in the second half to be higher than the losses of the first half due to low demand, restructuring charges, and impairments on its fleet.
2020: Record loss
In 2020, Cathay Pacific posted a record annual loss of US$2.8 billion.
2020: Cathay Dragon Ceases Operations
In 2020, Cathay Pacific's wholly-owned subsidiary, Cathay Dragon, ceased operations. Cathay Dragon had been operating to 44 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region from its Hong Kong base.
April 2021: Job cuts begin
On 22 April 2021, Cathay Pacific began its job cuts by closing its Canada pilot base, and began consultation with pilots at their Australia and New Zealand pilot bases regarding base closure.
May 2021: Frankfurt pilot base closing
On 12 May 2021, Cathay Pacific announced the closing of its Frankfurt pilot base.
June 2021: Expected lower losses
In June 2021, Cathay Pacific announced it anticipated lower losses in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020, attributing this to cost-saving measures and strong demand for cargo flights.
September 2021: First aircraft returned to lessor
In September 2021, the Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPM), the first aircraft with the refreshed livery, was returned to its lessor at the expiration of its lease.
2021: Job cuts announced
In 2021, Cathay Pacific announced that it would cut an additional 8,500 jobs.
2021: 2021 Economy Class introduced
In 2021, Cathay Pacific introduced its 2021 Economy Class, identical to the 2018 version but with upgrades like a 4K resolution in-flight entertainment system.
2021: Updated cabin with new seat on Airbus A321neo
In 2021, Cathay Pacific updated the cabin with a new seat design on the Airbus A321neo, featuring hard-shell recliner seats with divider screens and a 15.6-inch PTV.
2021: Economy Class seat variations
Since 2021, Cathay Pacific has had introduced five types of economy class seats, varying across its aircraft fleet.
August 2022: Separate loyalty programs
Before August 2022, Cathay Pacific maintained two distinct loyalty programs: the Marco Polo Club frequent flyer program and Asia Miles, the travel reward program.
August 2022: Loyalty programs merger
In August 2022, Cathay Pacific merged its Asia Miles and Marco Polo Club programs, providing members with a single membership for both.
June 18, 2023: Freighter livery update
On June 18, 2023, Cathay Pacific updated its freighter livery, replacing the "Cathay Pacific Cargo" text with the larger "Cathay Cargo" text as part of the rebranding. It was first unveiled on a Boeing 747-8F (B-LJN).
December 2023: Schedule trimming due to pilot shortage
Beginning in December 2023, Cathay Pacific trimmed its schedules by an average of twelve flights per day through the end of February to avoid significant flight cancellations during the Lunar New Year period due to a pilot shortage.
December 2023: Flight cancellations and scrutiny
Since 24 December 2023, Cathay Pacific faced scrutiny in Hong Kong following a spate of flight cancellations, including forty flights over four days, primarily on routes with multiple daily services to transfer passengers to other flights.
2023: "Aria Suite" announcement
In 2023, Cathay Pacific announced their new "Aria Suite" for Business Class.
2023: "World of Winners" campaign participation
In 2023, Cathay Pacific participated in the Airport Authority Hong Kong's "World of Winners" campaign, providing tickets to promote tourism in Hong Kong, requiring participants to register for its frequent flyer program.
2023: Pilot recruitment difficulties
In 2023, after workforce reductions during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathay Pacific experienced difficulties recruiting pilots, managing to recruit only 100 new pilots that year.
January 2024: Schedule trimming due to pilot shortage
In January 2024, Cathay Pacific continued to trim its schedules by an average of twelve flights per day through the end of February to avoid significant flight cancellations during the Lunar New Year period due to a pilot shortage.
June 2024: World's Best Economy Class award
On 24 June 2024, Cathay Pacific was voted the 2024 World's Best Economy Class by Skytrax.
November 2024: Repainting completed
In November 2024, Cathay Pacific completed repainting its fleet with the refreshed livery.
November 2024: Classic livery aircraft repainted
In November 2024, an Airbus A330-300 (B-HLV), the last remaining aircraft with the classic "Brushwing" livery, was repainted.
December 2024: Pilot hiring target met
On 12 December 2024, reports indicated that Cathay Pacific had met its target of hiring 3,400 pilots to restore the airline to pre-pandemic capacity and was planning to hire an additional 100 pilots in January 2025.
2024: Airline Ranking
As of 2024, Cathay Pacific is ranked as the fifth best airline in the world.
2024: "Aria Suite" installation
Since 2024, Cathay Pacific has been installing the new "Aria Suite" on their Boeing 777-300ERs.
January 2025: Return to Rome announcement
On 8 January 2025, Cathay Pacific announced it would resume flights to Rome, marking its 12th European destination. Flights were scheduled to commence on 5 June 2025, operated by Airbus A350-900 aircraft.
June 2025: Return to Rome flights commence
Cathay Pacific announced that the airline will be returning to Rome with flights commencing on 5 June 2025.
