News
Cathay Group carried 3.5 million passengers in April
May 21st 2026
On May 20, 2026, Cathay Group released traffic figures for April 2026. Cathay Pacific carried 2,764,946 passengers, up 16.5% compared to April 2025. Read More » Passenger demand (RPK) increased 17.8% year-on-year, while capacity (ASK) increased 15.4%. Passenger load factor improved by 1.8 ppt to 88.2% for the month. The group’s LCC, HK Express, carried 729,846 passengers, up 4.9% compared to the same month last year. Passenger demand increased 3.0%, and capacity 7.0%. The passenger load factor declined by 3.2 ppt to 82.0%. Cathay Cargo carried 8% more cargo in April 2026 than in April 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometers (AFTKs) increased by 7%. “April continued to present a mixed picture. Travel demand was robust, and passenger load factors were high, driven by holiday and seasonal travel, while cargo volumes were healthy. However, jet fuel prices remained at highly elevated levels amid the ongoing situation in the Middle East, heightening cost pressures. We are remaining agile in our response and continue to monitor the developments closely,” Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said. “Looking ahead to the summer travel peak, Cathay Pacific and HK Express will maintain the integrity of our July and August flight schedules for our customers, business partners, and the Hong Kong international aviation hub. In view of softened travel demand to the Middle East in the near term, we have taken the decision to extend the suspension of Cathay Pacific’s passenger services to Dubai and Riyadh until the end of August and redeploy the capacity to routes where customer demand is keen, such as Manchester and Rome. From a passenger capacity perspective, we remain on track to reach our 2026 growth target of around 10% despite the small number of cancellations announced previously for May and June,” she added.
