Cathay Pacific Airline, founded in 1946, serves as the flag carrier of Hong Kong, with its central hub and headquarters located at Hong Kong International Airport. The airline, along with its subsidiaries, offers scheduled cargo and passenger services to over 190 destinations. Its diverse fleet includes Airbus A321, Airbus A330, Airbus A350, Boeing 777, and Airbus A321neo aircraft. In 2020, Cathay Dragon ceased operations, which previously served 44 destinations in the Asia-Pacific region. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Pacific Cargo, along with Cathay Dragon, collectively transported around 27 million passengers and over 1.8 million tons of mail and cargo.

Sydney H. de Kantzow and Roy C. Farrell were the founders of this airline, which celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2016. The major shareholders of the airline are Air China, holding a 28.8% stake, and Swire Pacific, with a 42.3% stake.

Ranked as the fifth-largest airline globally by sales and the fourteenth largest by market capitalization, Cathay Pacific became the world's largest international airline in 2010. The company's slogan is "Move Beyond."

Expansion

In the late 1950s and the 1960s, Cathay Pacific experienced significant growth. It acquired Hong Kong Airways on July 1, 1959, and between 1962 and 1967, the airline achieved double-digit annual growth on average. It became one of the world's first airlines to operate international services to Osaka, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. The airline marked its one millionth passenger in 1964 and introduced its first jet engine aircraft, the Convair 880. During the 1970s, Cathay Pacific installed a computerized reservation system and flight simulators.

The airline received its first Boeing aircraft in 1971, with five Boeing 707s by 1972. In July 1976, Cathay Pacific began operating a Boeing 707 freighter from Hong Kong to Seoul, Singapore, and Bangkok. In 1974, Cathay Pacific purchased the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 for a new flight route, but due to pressure from the British Government, the airline later applied for a new route from Hong Kong to London using a Boeing 747, which was ultimately rejected.

During the 1980s, Cathay Pacific underwent significant expansion. It introduced Cathay Pacific Cargo, one of the world's largest re-export trading ports, and maintained its service to Vancouver in 1983. The industry-wide boom led to route growth, including destinations in Brisbane, Frankfurt, Rome, Paris, Manchester, Zurich, and London.

1990-2000 Rebranding, Renewal, and Oneworld

In January 1990, Cathay Pacific and its parent company, Swire Pacific, acquired a significant shareholding in Dragonair, including a 75% stake in the cargo airline Hong Kong in 1994. The airline initiated a fleet replacement program in the mid-1990s, amounting to approximately US$9 billion. CITIC Pacific increased its holding in the airline to 25% in 1996, with substantial holdings by Chinese companies CTS and CNAG.

In 1997, Cathay Pacific updated the registration numbers and flags on its fleet. On May 21, 1998, the airline took delivery of its first Boeing 777-300. Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the domestic and international operations of Philippine Airlines during a two-week shutdown from September 26 to October 7, 1998.

Transfer to Chek Lap Kok and Transpolar Flights

Cathay Pacific terminated flights from Kai Tak International Airport to London Heathrow Airport on July 6, 1998, and shifted operations to the new Hong Kong International Airport at Chek Lap Kok.