The airline makes its first trip after the reopening of the only non-stop route between the two cities.

Barcelona, 17 June 2024 – Cathay Pacific flight CX318 has just taken off successfully from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport at 13:00, bound for Hong Kong International Airport, where it will land at approximately 07:05 (local time).

This marks the start of the first non-stop flight between Barcelona and Hong Kong since 2020, when the service was suspended due to the health emergency caused by COVID-19. Now, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport recovers a key direct intercontinental route, in the heart of Asia, and with such a strategic city – both for business and leisure tourism – as is Hong Kong.

"We are very pleased with the recovery of such an important route as Barcelona. We are constantly working to continue bringing our customers closer to the destinations they like the most, and this is undoubtedly one of them. Barcelona is a city that excites international tourism, due to its great cultural, architectural, gastronomic, and leisure offer, as well as being a key hub as a gateway to the Mediterranean. With our current flight offerings from Barcelona and Madrid, Spain becomes one of the best-connected countries in our European network," said Kinto Chan, General Manager of Cathay Pacific Europe. "On behalf of Cathay and my entire team, I would like to thank the local authorities for facilitating the resumption of this connection. We are confident that the connection between Hong Kong, China and Spain will only continue to grow stronger in the future," he adds.

With the resumption of Cathay Pacific's operations in Barcelona, the city now has 3 direct return flights a week which will take off every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday to this great Asian metropolis. Adding to the 3 weekly frequencies already operating from Madrid, Cathay Pacific now offers almost daily flights between Spain and Hong Kong, more than any other Asia-Pacific airline.

Moreover, thanks to the enormous capillarity of its network, it is possible to connect with total comfort and very short waiting times from its hub at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) to any other of its many destinations in the region, such as Mainland China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, and the Philippines.

Gala Day at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport :  During the morning, a very special event took place at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, with the launch of Cathay Pacific and the presence of the heads of the Barcelona Air Routes Development Committee (BARDC). The members of the committee attended on behalf of the various partner institutions: the Government of Catalonia (Department of Territory and Sustainability), Barcelona City Council (Economic Promotion), Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and Aena.

One of the main objectives of the Barcelona Air Routes Development Committee (BARDC) is to recover the Asian routes that operated before the pandemic, as expressed in its latest Strategic Plan 2021-2024.

The recovery of the Barcelona - Hong Kong route by Cathay Pacific is the result of the cooperation and great teamwork carried out since 2020 between the airline and the institutions that make up the BARDC, in collaboration with the Catalan Tourism Agency and Barcelona Tourism.

In 2023, China had more than 273,000 passengers indirectly (without direct service), over 35,000 of whom were on the Barcelona-Hong Kong route (Source: O&D 2023 -MIDT Sabre).  The quality of Cathay Pacific's service and the stimulus factor generated by the creation of a new direct link to Barcelona promises that the 2019 figures will be reached quickly.

The W43 boarding gate was a festive atmosphere for the lucky ones who were part of this first flight, and who also received a gift from the company upon boarding the aircraft.

The most premium connection to Asia.  Cathay Pacific is regarded as one of the world's best airlines and is known for offering its customers premium service and attention to detail.

Their continuous efforts to maintain the highest excellence in their in-flight experience have led them to garner multiple international accolades, such as the World's Best In-flight Entertainment Airline in 2023 at the prestigious SKYTRAX awards. With more than 3,000 hours of content, its catalogue offers passengers the best selection of films and series, including Hollywood classics and local cinema, as well as the latest releases on platforms such as Disney+, HBO Max or Paramount, which are also available. In addition, in a clear commitment to further enhance the in-flight experience through gastronomy, Cathay Pacific offers all its customers menus created specifically to be enjoyed at altitude, in collaboration with renowned restaurants of international prestige, even recognized with Michelin stars.

For further information, visit: www.cathaypacific.com

About Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific is a premium full-service airline from Hong Kong, with more than seven decades of history and a founding member of the oneworld global alliance. Cathay also includes the cargo division Cathay Cargo, the low-cost carrier HK Express, and its lifestyle segment. Cathay is a member of the Swire Group and is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKSE). For further information, visit www.cathaypacific.com

Additional information/Press contact:

Roi Ferro | Catalina Garcés: cathaypacificspain@bcw-global.com - 91 384 67 32

Photo representatives: Kinto Chan, General Manager of Cathay Pacific in Europe; together with the representative of the Barcelona Air Routes Development Committee (BARDC): Daniel Albalate – President of Aeroports de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya; Marc Unió – City Promotion, Barcelona City Council; Alicia Casart -– Director of the Infrastructure Studies Office, Barcelona Chamber of Commerce; Laura Soria – coordinator of the BARDC secretariat; and Paula González – Deputy Director of JT Bacelona-El Prat Airport, Aena; accompanied by Cathay Pacific cabin crew members.

Source: Cathay Pacific/BARDC/GPA

By support of www.gpa.aero