Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. will add dozens of flights a week to the US and Canada, bringing most services in the key North American market back to pre-Covid levels.
The Hong Kong-based carrier plans to operate 108 return flights per week by May 2025 to North America, up from 88 now “- a 23 per cent increase “- it said in a statement Tuesday. It will add four direct flights to Dallas a week and increase services to cities such as New York, San Francisco and Vancouver.
The extra flights will help fill a shortfall in services between North America and mainland China, which are still languishing at around 25 per cent of pre-Covid levels due to curbs imposed during the pandemic.
Washington last approved an increase in US-mainland China flights in February, but volumes are currently on track to be lower than what will be offered between the US and Hong Kong next year. US carriers in recent months have voiced concerns about weak demand into Asia’s largest economy.
Cathay has gradually been adding new routes and restoring services gradually post-pandemic, having struggled with a shortage of pilots to ramp up services over the past year.
Cathay is aiming to restore total flight capacity to pre-Covid levels by the first quarter of 2025.
