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Cathay Cargo led October performance with 150,000+ tonnes carried, up 12% month-on-month and 6% year-on-year
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Cargo demand strengthened across regions, driven by perishables and time-sensitive shipments via Cathay Fresh and Cathay Priority
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Cargo tonnage rose 6% year-on-year in October
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Passenger traffic reached 3.2 million, rising 21% month-on-month
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Cathay Pacific passenger traffic rose 29% year-on-year, while HK Express was up 32%
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Strong leisure and business travel demand lifted Cathay Pacific’s load factor to 86%, its highest for October in recent years
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New and resumed routes include Changsha, Adelaide, and the upcoming Kota Kinabalu service
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The group will operate 330 weekly flights to mainland China, 100 to Oceania, and over 430 to Southeast Asia during the winter peak
The Cathay Group reported stronger cargo and passenger movements in October 2025, with Cathay Cargo carrying more than 150,000 tonnes, a 12% increase from the previous month and 6% higher year-on-year.
The airline group also transported over 3.2 million passengers through Cathay Pacific and HK Express combined, up 21% month-on-month.
Year-on-year, cargo volumes rose 6%, while available freight tonne kilometers increased 8%. For the first 10 months of 2025, cargo tonnage was up 10% compared with the same period last year.
Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau, in a statement, said October was “another solid month for our travel and cargo businesses.”
She added that Cathay Cargo’s performance reflected “growth observed across most regions,” supported by demand for its Cathay Fresh and Cathay Priority products ahead of the year-end peak.
Lau said fresh-produce shipments from Southeast Asia and Oceania, along with chilled salmon from South America to the Chinese mainland, bolstered Cathay Fresh volumes, while Cathay Priority recorded “solid growth” from Southeast Asia and the Greater Bay Area due to time-sensitive shipments during the festive buildup.
“As we look ahead to the remainder of the cargo peak season, we expect demand to remain healthy with high loads continuing, particularly on key trade lanes,” said Lau.
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Cathay Pacific’s passenger traffic rose 29% in October compared with the same month last year, while available seat kilometers increased by 26%.
For the first 10 months of 2025, the airline carried 27% more passengers than in the same period in 2024. Lau said travel demand was buoyed by the National Day “Golden Week,” the Mid-Autumn Festival, and major trade fairs that strengthened long-haul premium-cabin traffic. These factors pushed the carrier’s load factor to 86%, the highest for October in recent years.
“Later in the month, demand for our premium cabins was stimulated by major exhibitions in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland — including the Canton Fair, Electronics Fair and China Toy Fair — which attracted inbound traffic from various long-haul markets,” Lau said.
“Looking ahead, bookings for the Christmas travel peak remain strong,” she said, adding that inbound demand from North America, the United Kingdom and other European markets is expected to remain robust.
HK Express carried more than 680,000 passengers in October, up 32% year-on-year, with capacity rising 34%. The airline’s load factor stayed close to 2024 levels as National Day holiday demand supported traffic. Lau noted that advance bookings remain healthy, though the airline will keep monitoring travel demand to Japan and stimulate sales across its network as needed.
Lau also highlighted the group’s expanding network. Cathay Pacific launched daily direct flights to Changsha in China and resumed a thrice-weekly seasonal service to Adelaide, Australia in November, while HK Express will begin daily flights to Kota Kinabalu later in the month.
During the winter peak, the group expects to operate about 330 return flights per week to the Chinese mainland, nearly 100 to Oceania, and more than 430 to Southeast Asia.
READ: Cathay Cargo records 13% growth in Aug 2025
