Lau explained: “The robust demand Cathay Pacific saw in July was primarily driven by long-haul traffic to and from Hong Kong in the first half of the month, particularly among students and those visiting friends and relatives, followed by leisure traffic to regional destinations such as South Korea and Southeast Asia in the second half of July. These traffic flows contributed to a load factor of 86% in July.
“Turning to August, earlier this month we were delighted to return to Brussels with the launch of our four-times-weekly flights between Hong Kong and the Belgian capital. Looking further ahead, we expect student traffic to provide a travel boost in September ahead of the new school year, while the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday periods are expected to stimulate leisure travel demand from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in October.”
In terms of cargo operations, Cathay Cargo transported 11% more cargo than it did in July last year. Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) also increased by 11%. The total tonnage for January through July was up by 11% compared with the same period last year.
Lau commented: “In July, we saw increased cargo tonnage compared with the same month last year, reflecting the movement of air cargo ahead of the tariff timelines. Meanwhile, our capacity grew by 6% compared with the previous month, with strong demand from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong in particular, driven by machinery and perishables. Demand for our Cathay Fresh solution was buoyed by the seasonal movement of cherries from the United States. Looking ahead, the external environment remains uncertain and we will continue to stay vigilant and agile while serving demand where it arises.”
HK Express reported carrying more than 680,000 passengers during July—an increase of 22% on a year-on-year basis—while ASKs grew by nearly 38%. Passenger numbers for January through July rose by about one-third compared with last year.
Lau said: “HK Express has continued to expand its network with the launch of new routes to Guiyang in July and Kuala Lumpur (Subang) in early August. Demand for flights to Japan remained subdued in July due to earthquake rumours, and while we are gradually seeing a pickup in bookings in August, they are yet to return to normal levels.”
Detailed operational statistics show that Cathay Pacific’s passenger load factor reached nearly 86%, while HK Express’ stood at about 76%. For cargo operations at Cathay Cargo, load factors held steady at just above 58%.
Additional definitions provided clarify that Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) measure seat capacity multiplied by sector distance; Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) refer similarly for freight; Revenue Passenger Kilometres (RPKs) account for actual passenger travel distance; Revenue Freight Tonne Kilometres (RFTKs) do likewise for freight.
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