Cathay Pacific

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Cathay Pacific
國泰 航空
logo
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300
IATA code : CX
ICAO code : CPA
Call sign : CATHAY
Founding: 1946
Seat: Hong KongHong Kong Hong Kong
Turnstile :

Hong Kong International Airport

Home airport : Hong Kong International Airport
Company form: Limited
ISIN : HK0293001514
IATA prefix code : 160
Management: Augustus Tang ( CEO )
Alliance : Oneworld Alliance
Frequent Flyer Program :
  • Asia Miles
  • The Marco Polo Club
Fleet size: 152 (+ 33 orders)
Aims: National and international
Website: www.cathaypacific.com

Cathay Pacific ( Chinese  國泰 航空 ) is an airline based in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and based at Hong Kong International Airport . She is a member of the airline alliance Oneworld Alliance .

history

Cathay City, the seat of Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific started as a small company that expanded rapidly and became one of the largest and leading airlines in the world. According to Skytrax , it is one of the nine 5-star airlines in the world, alongside All Nippon Airways , Asiana Airlines , EVA Air , Etihad Airways , Garuda Indonesia , Hainan Airlines , Lufthansa , Qatar Airways and Singapore Airlines (as of December 2017).

founding

The airline was founded on September 24, 1946 by the Australian pilot Sydney H. de Kantzow and the US ex- Air Force pilot Roy C. Farrell with a symbolic contribution of one Hong Kong dollar . According to legend, the two gentlemen are said to have agreed on the company in the “Manila Hotel” in the city of the same name. The two former air force cargo pilots initially started charter flights with two Douglas DC-3 aircraft . They transported both passengers and cargo from Hong Kong to Shanghai . Further connections followed to Manila , Bangkok , Singapore and Sydney .

The company expanded rapidly and in 1948 one of Hong Kong's leading trading companies Butterfield & Swire (now Swire Pacific Limited ) acquired 45% of the company's shares. Under the leadership of John Kidston Swire, Butterfield & Swire assumed responsibility for the management of Cathay Pacific . The Swire Group subsequently increased its stake to 70%.

expansion

In the years up to 1960 the company expanded steadily. In 1959, Cathay Pacific took over its biggest competitor Hong Kong Airways (a subsidiary of BOAC ). The fleet was enlarged and modernized - in 1959 with Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft and in 1962 with Convair CV-880 aircraft - and separate classes were introduced in the passenger compartments: there was now a first class and an economy class. New routes added to the flight schedule, Osaka , Fukuoka and Nagoya in Japan were served.

The sixties marked the beginning of the jet age - the first “real” jet was the Convair CV-880. This was followed by Boeing 707 aircraft . During this time, Cathay Pacific was one of the most successful airlines in Asia.

In 1966, Cathay carried a total of more than a million passengers.

New goals

The company grew and prospered during the 1970s. The Lockheed L-1011 TriStar was introduced as the company's first wide-body aircraft . Cathay Pacific benefited from the global boom that spurred the aviation industry in the 1980s and encouraged Cathay Pacific to expand flight operations to Europe . Boeing 747-200 aircraft were purchased for these long-haul connections . The first flight to Europe took place on July 17, 1980, the destination was Gatwick Airport (today London - Heathrow is served ). Further destinations in Europe followed. There have been direct flights to Frankfurt am Main since 1984 .

Asian recession

Brushed wing on the tail unit of the 100th Airbus aircraft delivered to Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific suffered economic setbacks during the great recession that hit Asia in the mid-1990s. To resolve the difficulties, the fleet was renewed with the aim of replacing the aged TriStars and later the older Jumbos (Boeing 747-200 / -300). The company was reorganized and a new corporate design was developed in 1994 , whereby the two green and one white stripes ("sandwich") on the company logo were replaced by the "brush wing". With the white brushstroke on a turquoise background, the new design should give the airline a more Asian look than the simple sandwich that was influenced by the British colonial era. As a result, the Union Jack was removed from the aircraft and proudly declared that they were operating from the heart of Asia.

Return Hong Kong to China

In view of the return of Hong Kong to China, the Swire Group sold the majority of the shares in Cathay. The Chinese investor group "CITIC" took over 25 percent, two smaller Chinese companies ("CNAC" and "CTS") also took over shares.

Swire Pacific Ltd. 45 percent of the shares, Air China Ltd. took over 29.99% from the other investors and CITIC Pacific Ltd. currently holds 1.98%.

Despite the Chinese holdings, the British still form a majority in management today. Above all, Australians, British, Canadians and New Zealanders are active in the pilot corps .

Domestic flights in the Philippines

As a result of the temporary cessation of flight operations by Philippine Airlines during the Asian crisis , Cathay Pacific carried out daily charter flights from Manila to Cebu , Davao City , Cagayan de Oro and Bacolod City at the request of the Philippine government . Preparations in Hong Kong for the special operation took no more than 48 hours - the fastest start-up operation in the history of civil aviation.

Hong Kong Super Hub

After Hong Kong 's Kai Tak Airport was closed in July 1998, Cathay Pacific turned the new Hong Kong International Airport into its new aviation hub . The airline now has luxurious passenger facilities there, which are particularly popular with business travelers.

SARS

When the lung disease SARS spread in early 2003 , air traffic in Asia collapsed at times. Many flight connections were canceled and the number of passengers on the flights that took place dropped dramatically. Cathay Pacific is one of the few airlines that does not have government support in times of crisis.

Expansion in China

Cathay Pacific has continuously expanded its route network in China in recent years. Together with the airline Cathay Dragon , which has been a 100% subsidiary of Cathay Pacific since 2006, it currently serves 20 travel destinations.

The route network in China includes the following destinations: Guangzhou , Beijing , Shanghai (Hongqiao and Pudong International Airport ), Xiamen , Nanjing-Lukou , Changsha, Chongqing, Fuzhou, Guilin, Haikou, Hangzhou, Kunming, Ningbo, Qingdao, Sanya, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Xian and Zhengzhou.

Cathay Pacific has bilateral relations with Air China . Air China is a major shareholder in Cathay Pacific with a 29.99% stake. In return, Cathay Pacific has a 20.13% stake in Air China. This means that Cathay Pacific, Cathay Dragon (formerly Dragonair) and Air China form the largest alliance of airlines in China.

In 2019, Cathay Pacific took over the low-cost airline Hong Kong Express Airways .

Protests in Hong Kong 2019

In connection with the 2019 Hong Kong protests , China asked the airline not to use personnel to support or participate in the protests when flying through Chinese airspace. As a result, Cathay Pacific suspended a pilot who had been arrested during a demonstration, fired two other employees and threatened employees who took part in the protests or supported them with disciplinary measures up to and including termination. Several Chinese state-owned companies urged their employees to use other airlines to travel, the investment arm of the Industrial & Commercial Bank of China recommended selling Cathay shares, and major shareholder Swire Pacific condemned the protests. As a result, Cathay shares fell to a new ten-year low. Under pressure from Beijing, CEO Rupert Hogg and Sales Director Paul Loo resigned; they were replaced by Augustus Tang and Ronald Lam.

Business areas

Subsidiaries and Associates

Cathay Pacific has gained a foothold through diversification efforts in industry-related areas and sectors, including a. in the areas of handling, aviation technology and on-board catering.

Companies with main holdings of the Cathay Pacific Group are:

company shape Main activity Registered in Cathay Pacific Group holdings
(as of May 31, 2014)
Air China Companies airline China 20.13%
Air China Cargo joint venture Cargo airline China 49%
Air Hong Kong joint venture Cargo airline Hong Kong 60%
Cathay Dragon subsidiary company airline Hong Kong 100%
Cathay Pacific Cargo subsidiary company Cargo airline Hong Kong 100%
Cathay Pacific Catering Services (HK) Limited subsidiary company Catering services Hong Kong 100%
Cathay Pacific Services Limited subsidiary company Cargo Hong Kong 100%
Cathay Pacific Holidays subsidiary company Tour operator Hong Kong 100%
Dragonair Holidays subsidiary company Tour operator Hong Kong 100%
Hong Kong Airport Services subsidiary company Clearance Hong Kong 100%
Vogue Laundry Service Limited subsidiary company laundry Hong Kong 100%
China Pacific Laundry Services joint venture laundry Taiwan 45%
CLS Catering Services Limited joint venture Catering services Canada 30%

Cathay Pacific Airways announced on January 28, 2016 that its wholly-owned subsidiary Dragonair will be renamed Cathay Dragon. The two airlines will remain independent and will continue to operate under their own license. However, the rebranding will bring the two brands closer together.

Destinations

The Cathay Pacific Group serves over 200 destinations around the world. The airline flies from Hong Kong to more than 20 destinations in China, numerous destinations in North and Southeast Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand. Non-stop connections from Europe to Hong Kong are available from Frankfurt , Zurich , London (Heathrow and Gatwick), Manchester, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Rome, Milan, Brussels (since March 25, 2018), Copenhagen (since May 2, 2018 ) and Dublin (since June 2, 2018). There are also flight connections between Hong Kong and the USA, Canada and South Africa.

Code sharing agreements

Cathay Pacific has codeshare agreements with the following airlines:

Cathay Pacific signed a cooperation agreement with the Lufthansa Group on March 27, 2017. The partnership includes u. a. the following routes operated by the Lufthansa Group:

  • Lufthansa: Flights between Frankfurt and Berlin, Dresden, Hanover, Hamburg, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart
  • Swiss: Flights between Zurich and Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Geneva
  • Austrian Airlines: Flights between Vienna and Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Zurich

In addition to feeder flights, passengers flying with Cathay Pacific from Germany can also use Deutsche Bahn to reach the departure airports in Düsseldorf and Frankfurt. Flight tickets can be booked including a Rail & Fly train ticket.

fleet

Cathay Pacific Airbus A330-300
Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-900
Boeing 747-8F of Cathay Pacific Cargo in old livery
Cathay Pacific Boeing 777-300ER in old livery

Current fleet

As of March 2020, the Cathay Pacific fleet consists of 152 aircraft with an average age of 8.8 years:

Aircraft type number ordered Remarks Seats
( First / Business / Eco + / Eco )
Airbus A330-300 28 251 (- / 39/21/191)
262 (- / 39 / - / 223)
317 (- / 24 / - / 293)

(- / 28/265)

Airbus A350-900 24 4th 280 (- / 38/28/214)
Airbus A350-1000 12 8th Delivery probably from 2017; 334 (- / 46/32/256)
Boeing 747-400ERF 6th Cargo planes -
Boeing 747-8F 14th
Boeing 777-300 17th Cathay Pacific was the launch customer of the 777-300 438 (- / 42 / - / 396)
Boeing 777-300ER 51 275 (6/53/34/182)

294 (6/53/34/201)
368 (- / 40/32/296 )

Boeing 777-9X 21st Delivery probably from 2021 - open -
total 152 33

In 2005, in cooperation with Boeing and Taeco, an aircraft conversion company operating in Xiamen , the world's first passenger version of the Boeing 747-400 was converted into the Boeing 747-400BCF freight version and handed over to Cathay Pacific.

Former aircraft types

Lockheed L-1011 TriStar from Cathay Pacific

In its history, Cathay Pacific has also operated Avro Anson , Consolidated PBY Catalina , Douglas DC-3 , DC-4 and DC-6 , Lockheed L-188 Electra , Bristol Britannia , Convair CV-880 , Boeing 707-320 , Airbus A340-200 , Airbus A340-300 and A340-600 , Boeing 747-200B , -300 and -400 and Lockheed L-1011-100 TriStar .

Services

Cabin product

A first-class cabin of a Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 (now decommissioned)

First class

The current (2014) first-class cabin was implemented by the architectural office Foster + Partners in the style of the first-class lounge "The Wing" at Hong Kong International Airport in order to offer passengers a uniform travel experience from start to finish. The seating units are referred to as "suites".

Business Class in a Cathay Pacific Airbus A330

Business class

The new Business Class is currently offered on all Boeing 777-300ER and Airbus A330-300s. The seat can be unfolded into a flat bed with a length of 2.08 meters and widened by 16.5 cm by lowering the armrest.

The premium economy class cabin at Cathay Pacific

Premium Economy Class

The Premium Economy Class offers 20 cm more seat spacing and wider seats than the regular Economy Class. Special check-in counters are available for Premium Economy Class passengers at the airport and priority is given to them when entering the cabin. You can also take more baggage allowance: 25 kg instead of 20 kg. The Premium Economy Class is housed in a separate part of the cabin with 26 to 34 seats. The food and drink service has also been expanded compared to Economy Class.

The economy class seats with the IFE systems

Economy class

The on-board entertainment program is offered via a personal 9-inch monitor. The passengers receive (several) menus according to the flight time.

Frequent flyer programs

Cathay Pacific has two frequent flyer programs: Asia Miles, the bonus miles program for travel, and The Marco Polo Club (The Club), the loyalty program that earns tier miles. Members of The Marco Polo Club are automatically registered as Asia Miles members.

Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific is a partner of Asia Miles, which was named the best frequent flyer program in Asia in 2013 . Members can collect Asia Miles from over 500 partners in nine categories (including airlines, hotels, travel & leisure, cars & traffic, retail), but also when shopping online via the iShop , which offers various products and brands - from books and electronics to to clothing and accessories.

The frequent flyer program has more than 5 million members. Members can earn and redeem Asia Miles on flights operated by Cathay Pacific and certain partner companies (including oneworld partners). Asia Miles can e.g. B. redeemed for travel, electronics, restaurants, concert tickets and other rewards. Asia Miles are valid for 3 years from the date they are credited. Membership is free.

Asia Miles can be earned on flights with Cathay Pacific as follows (depending on the miles actually flown, given in%):

  • 25% in booking classes S, N and Q of Economy Class
  • 100% in booking classes Y, B, H, K, M, L and V of Economy Class
  • 110% in booking classes E, R and W of Premium Economy Class
  • 125% in booking classes I, D, C and J of Business Class
  • 150% in booking classes F and A of First Class

The Marco Polo Club

The Marco Polo Club is a program in which frequent flyers (aged 12 and over) receive various status benefits, depending on their flight behavior. There is a fee of 100 US dollars to become a member of The Marco Polo Club or to renew your green status (alternatively with 100 points). There are four status levels: Green, Silver, Gold and Diamond. Green is the entry level for The Marco Polo Club. For The Marco Polo Club members, flights on Cathay Pacific, its subsidiary Cathay Dragon or a oneworld Alliance partner in an eligible booking class contribute to membership status. The higher the booking class and the longer the distance flown, the more points.

Level Points oneworld level
Diamond 1,200 Emerald
gold 600 Sapphire
Silver 300 Ruby
Green USD100 / 100 points -

A membership year lasts 12 months from the date of registration, status renewal, a status upgrade or a status downgrade to the current level. After a status renewal, upgrade or downgrade, the points are automatically reset to 0 and a new membership year begins. A status upgrade will be awarded as soon as enough points have been collected for the next status level within a membership year. The benefits of membership vary depending on the club level.

On April 15, 2016, the previous miles or sectors were converted into club points.

Incidents

  • On July 16, 1948, a Consolidated PBY with the aircraft registration VR-HDT was hijacked by four men on a flight from Macau to Hong Kong, who killed the captain shortly after take-off and caused the aircraft to crash into the Pearl River near Zhuhai . Except for one of the hijackers, all people on board were killed, a total of 26 people died. It was the world's first aircraft hijacking.
  • On February 24, 1949, a Douglas DC-3 with the aircraft registration VR-HDG crashed after an aborted approach in bad weather. All 23 people died.
  • On September 18, 1963, Cathay Pacific Flight 34 shot over the runway at Kuala Lumpur Airport . Three people died, the plane was written off.
  • On November 5, 1967, a Convair CV-880 on Cathay-Pacific Flight 033 shot over the runway at Kai Tak Airport . One person died, the plane was written off.
  • On June 15, 1972, a Convair CV-880 with the registration number VR-HFZ on Cathay Pacific flight 700Z crashed on the flight from Bangkok to Hong Kong near Plei Cu , Vietnam . All 81 occupants, 71 passengers and ten crew members died in the accident. The investigation revealed that a bomb had exploded on board. A police officer, whose fiancée was on the flight with their daughter, was charged for this but acquitted for lack of evidence. This was the worst accident ever for a Convair CV-880. It was also the last total loss of a Cathay Pacific aircraft and the airline's last major accident.
  • On April 13, 2010, on Cathay Pacific flight 780, an Airbus A330-300 with the aircraft registration B-HLL landed safely in Hong Kong despite a double engine failure. The cause was the presence of spherical particles in the fuel, which clogged the inside of the engines, whereupon they failed. 52 passengers were injured.

Trivia

The name Cathay Pacific is derived from the old name of China, Cathay , as well as the founders' vision at the time to be able to fly over the Pacific one day .

See also

literature

Web links

Commons : Cathay Pacific  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Board Changes
  2. ↑ Certified 5-Star Airline Ratings. In: airlinequality.com. Retrieved September 15, 2016 .
  3. ↑ Cathay Pacific celebrates 100th aircraft delivery when taking another Airbus A330. Airbus , August 29, 2006, accessed May 24, 2014 .
  4. ^ Cathay Pacific Fact Sheet. Cathay Pacific, accessed May 24, 2014 .
  5. ^ Cathay Pacific System Timetable. (PDF; 2.37 MB) Cathay Pacific, accessed on May 24, 2014 (English).
  6. ↑ Discloseable Transaction Acquisition of Hong Kong Express Airways Limited Completion. from July 19, 2019 (PDF)
  7. ^ Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com): Beijing puts Cathay on track. August 12, 2019, accessed August 14, 2019 .
  8. ↑ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-13/china-s-biggest-bank-cuts-cathay-to-strong-sell-over-protests Bloomberg - Are you a robot? In: bloomberg.com. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
  9. ↑ https://www.scmp.com/economy/china-economy/article/3022651/cathay-pacifics-majority-shareholder-pressed-condemning Cathay shareholder pressed to condemn 'violent' Hong Kong protests. In: scmp.com. August 13, 2019, accessed May 10, 2020 .
  10. ↑ fdi / Reuters: Hong Kong: Head of Cathay Pacific resigns under pressure from China. In: Spiegel Online . August 16, 2019, accessed May 10, 2020 .
  11. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Subsidiaries and associates (English)
  12. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Cathay Dragon
  13. ↑ Overview of our flight destinations. (No longer available online.) Cathay Pacific, archived from the original on April 26, 2014 ; accessed on June 1, 2017 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cathaypacific.com
  14. ^ Alliance and partnerships. In: cathaypacific.com. Retrieved May 10, 2020 .
  15. ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from August 17, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . cathaypacific.com, accessed March 27, 2017 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cathaypacific.com
  16. ↑ Rail & Fly - arrival by train. In: cathaypacific.com. April 30, 2019, accessed May 10, 2020 .
  17. ^ Cathay Pacific Fleet Details and History. In: planespotters.net. Retrieved March 29, 2020 .
  18. ↑ Airbus - Orders & deliveries , accessed on November 12, 2015.
  19. ^ Boeing - Orders and Deliveries , accessed on November 12, 2015.
  20. ↑ Civil aircraft orders in 2017.flugrevue.de, September 13, 2017, accessed on September 13, 2017 .
  21. ^ Cathay Pacific Aircraft & Fleet. Cathay Pacific, accessed November 12, 2014 .
  22. ↑ Airbus - Cathay Pacific selects A350-1000 ( Memento of the original from September 14, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (English), accessed September 18, 2012 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.airbus.com
  23. ↑ Airbus A350-1000 | Fly with us | Cathay Pacific Airways. Retrieved March 19, 2018 .
  24. ↑ Cathay Pacific orders 21 new Boeing 777-9X - delivery starts in 2021. (No longer available online.) In: Press releases. Cathay Pacific, December 20, 2013; archived from the original on May 6, 2014 ; accessed on May 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.cathaypacific.com
  25. ↑ First. In: cathaypacific.com , accessed September 10, 2016.
  26. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Business Class
  27. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Premium Economy Class
  28. ↑ website of the Asia Miles (English)
  29. ↑ 2013 Business Traveler Asia-Pacific Awards. (No longer available online.) Business Traveler Asia-Pacific, September 27, 2013, archived from the original on May 20, 2014 ; accessed on May 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.businesstraveller.asia
  30. ↑ Asia Miles iShop. (No longer available online.) Asiamiles.com, archived from the original on May 23, 2014 ; accessed on May 24, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.asiamiles.com
  31. ↑ asiamiles.com - Sign Up Now! (English)
  32. ↑ cathaypacific.com - About the Marco Polo Club
  33. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Application The Club
  34. ↑ cathaypacific.com - Marco Polo club changes
  35. ↑ Aircraft accident data and report in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  36. ↑ Aircraft accident data and report in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  37. ↑ Aircraft accident data and report in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  38. ↑ Flight accident data and report of Cathay Pacific flight 033 in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  39. ^ Nicholas Grossmann: Chronicle of Thailand: Headline News Since 1946 Editions Didier Millet, 2009, ISBN 978-981-4217-12-5 .
  40. ↑ Flight accident data and report of Cathay Pacific flight 700Z in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
  41. ↑ Flight accident data and report of Cathay Pacific Flight 780 in the Aviation Safety Network (English)
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