Cathay Pacific is the flag carrier of Hong Kong
, and most of its 179-strong fleet consists of widebody aircraft. Meanwhile, the airline’s narrowbody fleet is made up of 16 Airbus A321neo
aircraft. These were originally ordered by Dragonair (Cathay Dragon), but were absorbed into the mainline Cathay fleet in 2020. Dragonair was a Hong Kong-based international regional airline founded in 1985. It changed its name to Cathay Dragon in 2016 before merging with Cathay in 2020.
Cathay Pacific
IATA/ICAO Code
CX/CPA
Year Founded
1946
CEO
Ronald Lam
Cathay Pacific is one of the oldest Asian airlines operating today and is currently ranked as the fifth-best airline in the world by Skytrax. Today, Cathay Pacific continues to operate these Airbus A321neos on routes around East and Southeast Asia. Here are the seven routes Cathay has scheduled for May with frequencies of at least one a day, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company.
1
Chongqing Jiangbei, China
31 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: Yu Chun Christopher Wong l Shutterstock
Rounding out the list of Cathay Pacific A321neo destinations in May with at least one flight a day is China’s Chongqing Jiangbei. Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport is the primary airport serving the inland Chinese city of Chongqing. It is one of
the busiest airports in China
, and in 2023, it received over 44 million passengers.
Besides Cathay Pacific, Air China and Hong Kong Airlines also serve the route. Air China uses Boeing 737s on the route, while Hong Kong Airlines uses its A320 family aircraft. The scheduled flight time between the two destinations is around two hours and 30 minutes.
Miles
682
Seats (one-way)
6,262
Other airlines on the route
Air China, Hong Kong Airlines
The distance between Hong Kong and Chongqing is 682 miles, and Cathay’s A321neos will be flying 6,262 seats each way on the route this May. Cathay Pacific Airbus A321neos are configured with a total of 202 seats, made up of 12 business class seats and 190 economy class seats.
Related
HK Express Takes Delivery Of Its 10th Airbus A321neo Aircraft
Interestingly, HK Express’ Airbus A320neos have the PW1100G engines, while all of its A321neos have the CFM International LEAP-1A engines.
2
Chubu Centrair, Japan
31 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: Jeffry S.S. l Pexels
With daily flights scheduled, or a total of 31 one-way flights for May, Cathay’s A321neo route to Japan’s Chubu Centrair International Airport ties with Chongqing Jiangbei. In this instance, Chubu Centrair is listed first using distance as a tie-breaker. There is a distance of 1,632 miles between Hong Kong and Chubu Centrair, and Cathay’s A321neos will carry 6,262 seats in each direction.
Chubu Centrair International Airport is built on an artificial island in Japan’s Ise Bay, located in the Aichi Prefecture. It is 22 miles from the central Japanese city of Nagoya. Nagoya is the fourth-largest city in Japan and the third most populous by metropolitan area, with a population of around 10 million. Meanwhile, the airport receives around 10 million passengers annually.
Miles
1,632
Seats (one-way)
6,262
Other airlines on the route
Hong Kong Airlines, Air Hong Kong, HK Express
The route is also served by various other Hong Kong-based airlines, but not by Japan-based airlines. Hong Kong Airlines, Air Hong Kong, and HK Express also fly the route. It’s unclear why Japan-based carriers don’t operate on the route.
3
Manila, Philippines
38 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: heychli l Shutterstock
Cathay Pacific has 38 one-way A321neo flights scheduled between Hong Kong and Ninoy Aquino International Airport (also known as Manila International Airport), serving the major city of Manila. This route is 710 miles long and is scheduled to carry 7,676 seats in each direction. The scheduled flight time for the route is around two hours and 30 minutes.
The airport is constrained by being located in the dense Manila urban area, but
a new airport is currently under construction
called New Manila International Airport or Bulacan International Airport. It is located 22 miles north of Manila and will help decongest the current airport. Ground was broken in 2020, with the actual construction of the first phase of the project beginning in 2022. The airport is planned to open around 2028.
Miles:
710
Seats (one-way)
7,676
Other airlines on the route
Cebu Pacific, Greater Bay Airlines, Air Hong Kong, Philippine Airlines, HK Express, Philippines AirAsia, Ethiopian Airlines
The route is a popular one served by various airlines, including Cebu Pacific, Greater Bay Airlines, Air Hong Kong, Philippine Airlines, HK Express, Philippines AirAsia, and even Ethiopian Airlines operating a fifth-freedom flight. Ethiopian Airlines has grown to become the largest airline in Africa, and it is noted for operating a large number of fifth-freedom flights around the world.
4
Wenzhou Longwan, Mainland China
42 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: Dltl2010 l Wikimedia Commons
Wenzhou Longwan International Airport is the Mainland Chinese destination with the highest number of Cathay Pacific A321neo frequencies. It is scheduled to operate 42 flights each way between Hong Kong and Wenzhou with the type, carrying 8,484 seats. Wenzhou is one of the major cities in China’s Zhejiang province, although the largest city is Hangzhou.
While Hong Kong is part of China, it is a Special Administrative Region, and flights between Hong Kong and Mainland China are treated as international flights. The distance between Wenzhou and Hong Kong is 581 miles. In 2023, Wenzhou Airport served over 11 million passengers.
Miles
581
Seats (one-way)
8,484
Other airlines on the route
None
Cathay Pacific is the only airline operating flights directly between Wenzhou and Hong Kong. Cathay operates around 17 flights to various Mainland Chinese destinations across the country, and it serves around 80 destinations in total, meaning that most of its routes are to non-Mainland destinations. Of these Mainland China destinations, only Wenzhou and Chongqing feature in Cathay’s list of A321neo flights with at least one frequency a day.
Related
Where Is Cathay Pacific Flying Its Airbus A321neos?
After consolidating its operations and including narrowbody jets under its mainline operations, we examine where the airline is sending its A321s.
5
Bangkok Suvarnabhumi, Thailand
52 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: Kwok Ho Eddie Won l Flickr
The third-busiest route is to Southeast Asia. Cathay Pacific’s A321neos are scheduled to make 52 flights to Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport and another 52 flights back to Hong Kong. Suvarnabhumi is the primary international airport serving Bangkok, which is the capital and by far the largest city in Thailand. The route is 1,048 miles long and will carry 10,504 seats each way in the month.
Suvarnabhumi is one of the largest airport hubs serving the Southeast Asian region
. In 2024, the airport served around 62 million passengers, making it one of the busiest airports in the world. Airlines flying direct between Suvarnabhumi and Hong Kong include Greater Bay Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Air Hong Kong, Thai Airways, and HK Express. Additionally, Egyptair, Emirates, and Ethiopian Airlines operate fifth-freedom flights on the route.
Miles
1,048
Seats (one-way)
10,504
Other airlines on the route
Greater Bay Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Air Hong Kong, Thai Airways, HK Express, and others
Hong Kong is centrally located to connect East Asian destinations like Japan, Korea, and China with much of Southeast Asia and beyond. Hong Kong Airport claims that around half of the world’s population lives within a five-hour flight of Hong Kong. Hong Kong Airport is also the busiest international airport in the world for cargo. It has been the world’s busiest international cargo airport since 1996.
Related
Cathay Group Commits To 32 Airbus A320neo Family Aircraft
Cathay Pacific and HK Express will receive more narrowbodies as the group exercises its purchase options.
6
Kaohsiung, Taiwan
65 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: MarcelX42 l Wikimedia Commons
The second-busiest route is also across the Taiwan Strait, this time to Kaohsiung International Airport in Taiwan. At just 411 miles, the route is the shortest to make it onto this list. A total of 64 flights are scheduled from Hong Kong to Kaohsiung and 65 flights from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong in May.
Kaohsiung International Airport is another of Taiwan’s main international airports. It is located in the southern Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung. It is the third-busiest airport on the island after Taoyuan (Taipei) and Songshan. The airport has a single international terminal and a single domestic terminal, as well as a single runway. In 2023, it handled around 4.2 million passengers.
Miles:
411
Seats (one-way):
13,130
Other airlines on the route:
EVA Air, China Airlines, HK Express
Two Taiwan-based airlines, EVA Air and China Airlines, also operate on the route, as does Hong Kong’s HK Express. EVA Air and China Airlines are the two mainland carriers of Taiwan. China Airlines should not be confused with Air China, which is the flag carrier of mainland China.
7
Taipei Taoyuan, Taiwan
101 one-way flights scheduled
Photo: Windmemories l Wikimedia Commons
The route with the most Cathay Pacific Airbus A321neo flights is to Taipei on the island of Taiwan. Cathay is running three flights a day with 101 one-way flights scheduled and a total of 202 services, counting return rotations. These go to Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, which is
the primary international airport serving Taipei and northern Taiwan
. The airport is, by a considerable margin, the largest and busiest airport in Taiwan.
Taipei is one of the shortest routes on this list, with a distance of 501 miles. In May, Cathay’s A321neos are scheduled to carry 20,402 seats each way on the route. Hong Kong (HKG) to Taipei (TPE) was the busiest international route in the world in 2024, when the route had a total of 6.8 million seats.
Mmiles
501
Seats (one-way)
20,402
Other airlines on the route
EVA Air, China Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Starlux, Air Hong Kong, HK Express
In 2023, the Hong Kong to Taipei route was the third busiest in the world. However, in 2024, the route grew by 48% compared to 2023. This allowed it to, once again, claim the top spot for being the busiest route, as it had previously been the busiest route in 2019. Despite being the busiest route, it was still down 15% in 2024 compared with 2019.
