Cathay Pacific has officially commenced service to Dallas/Fort Worth, marking its eighth passenger destination in North America. The first flight arrived on April 24 and replaces American Airlines on the route, which was previously served between 2014 and 2020. Despite Cathay Pacific's entry, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has seen a decline in its ranking among the country's busiest widebody airports.
Cathay Pacific's arrival represents the airport's re-establishment of passenger flights to and from Hong Kong after a five-year hiatus. Utilizing an Airbus A350-1000 for the inaugural round-trip, the airline plans to continue using the 334-seat variant through the summer. Data indicates a shift to the 280-seat A350-900 is planned for the winter season to optimize load, fare, yield, and operational performance during the off-peak period.
Cathay Pacific's flight routing necessitates avoiding Russian airspace, resulting in a maximum block time of 16 hours and 40 minutes. This makes it the longest flight within Cathay's network. Still, for Dallas, it is the fifth-longest nonstop service after destinations like Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Doha.