The Cathay Group has reported strong double-digit growth across both its passenger and cargo businesses in May 2026, driven by Golden Week travel, Hong Kong’s Buddha’s Birthday holiday, and increased connecting traffic via Hong Kong due to the ongoing Middle East situation.
Cathay Pacific carried 2,668,469 passengers in May, up 16.8% year-on-year, with a passenger load factor of 86.8%. Available Seat Kilometres grew 10.4%, and premium cabin demand remained high from business and leisure travelers. Year-to-date passenger numbers are 18.5% ahead of the same period in 2025.
HK Express carried 674,397 passengers in May, a 4.8% increase, with Southeast Asia routes to Thailand and the Philippines particularly strong. Its Beijing Daxing service recorded a load factor exceeding 90%.
Cathay Cargo handled 150,089 tonnes of cargo in May, up 10.5% year-on-year, supported by robust demand on Chinese Mainland–Southeast Asia trade lanes, semiconductor and server shipments within Asia and to the Americas, and pharmaceutical exports from Europe to China. The group also announced an order for two additional Airbus A350F freighters, bringing its total commitment to eight.
Looking ahead, Cathay Pacific plans to launch its first Central Asia destination with direct flights to Almaty in the first quarter of 2027. HK Express will add daily flights to Wuxi in July.
