-
The Cathay Group carried a combined total of over 3.1 million passengers across Cathay Pacific and HK Express in June 2026, while Cathay Cargo moved around 145,000 tonnes of freight, both up 9% year-on-year
-
Cathay Pacific alone carried 12% more passengers in June 2026, while first-half passengers were up 17% year-on-year
-
Cathay Cargo tonnage in the first-half of the year was also up 9% year-on-year with growth driven by strong cargo flows from the Chinese Mainland into Southeast Asia and steady demand within the region
-
HK Express carried over 560,000 passengers in June, down 4% year-on-year, though first-half passenger numbers were up 10%
-
The Cathay Group expects a consolidated profit attributable to shareholders of approximately HK$6.0 to HK$6.5 billion for first-half 2026, up from around HK$3.7 billion in the same period last year
The Cathay Group carried a combined total of more than 3.1 million passengers across Cathay Pacific and HK Express in June 2026, while Cathay Cargo moved around 145,000 tonnes of freight, both up 9% year-on-year, the airline group announced Wednesday.
“The Cathay Group continued our growth momentum in June, although jet fuel prices remained elevated,” Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said.
“Meanwhile, we continue to enhance connectivity for our customers, with HK Express having recently launched direct daily flights to Wuxi, further expanding the Group’s network in the Chinese Mainland,” she added.
Cathay Cargo carried 9% more cargo in June 2026 than in June 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometers (AFTKs) rose 1%. In the first six months this year, total tonnage increased 9% compared with the same period in 2025.
Lau said, “Cargo tonnage recorded a solid year-on-year increase in June… Shipments into the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong remained resilient, while our specialist solutions continued to perform well, with semiconductor and pharmaceutical shipments supporting growth in Cathay Expert and Cathay Pharma respectively. Cathay Priority also saw strong demand into Hong Kong, Southeast Asia and the Americas, reflecting shippers’ need for time-definite solutions to replenish inventory.”
“Looking ahead, we anticipate continued healthy cargo flows across our network. At the same time, we will monitor the potential impact on e-commerce flows following the introduction of new customs duties on low-value imports into Europe,” she said.
READ: E-commerce sellers to EU must now pay €3 duty for under €150 packages
Cathay Pacific carried 12% more passengers in June 2026 than in June 2025, while Available Seat Kilometers (ASKs) increased by 6%. In the first six months, passenger numbers increased 17% compared with the same period in 2025.
“The start of June has historically been a softer period for passenger travel demand, but this year load factors remained elevated, amplified by increased traffic through Hong Kong due to the Middle East situation,” said Lau.
“This was further supported by the mid-month Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, which drove healthy outbound demand from Hong Kong to various short-haul destinations, followed by inbound student traffic from long-haul markets in the latter half of the month. Demand in our premium cabins also remained robust driven by strong corporate and premium leisure travel,” she highlighted.
“The outlook for the summer peak remains encouraging, particularly across our long-haul network. Meanwhile, demand from Hong Kong to short-haul destinations continues to be robust, with the Chinese Mainland and other destinations in Northeast Asia being particularly popular,” she added.
HK Express, meanwhile, carried more than 560,000 passengers in June 2026, a 4% year-over-year decrease, while ASKs decreased 7%. In the first six months of 2026, passenger numbers increased 10% compared with the same period in 2025.
“As with previous years, June is typically a period of softer travel demand for HK Express. That said, a few regions sustained solid performance during the month, with the Chinese Mainland, the Philippines and Thailand all recording passenger load factors above 85% — a double-digit percentage point increase compared with June the previous year,” Lau said.
“HK Express saw a reduction in year-on-year capacity in June 2026 due to the consolidation of a small number of flights to mitigate part of its increased fuel costs, as was announced in April 2026. Turning to the summer travel peak, bookings for July are ahead of last year,” she said.
READ: Cathay logs 11% cargo growth, passenger traffic up 24% in March
H1 2026 preliminary data
The group is expected to report a consolidated profit attributable to shareholders of approximately HK$6.0 to HK$6.5 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2026. This includes a gain on deemed partial disposal of associates of approximately HK$1.4 billion arising from the dilution of the group’s equity interest in Air China Limited, as disclosed in the company’s May 2026 Traffic Figures announcement dated June 23, 2026. This compares with a profit attributable to shareholders of around HK$3.7 billion for the six-month period ended June 30, 2025.
The group’s results for the first half of 2026 were also boosted by sustained demand for Cathay Pacific and Cathay Cargo, better performance from HK Express, and increased contributions from associates.
The airline said these first half numbers are based on a preliminary review of the unaudited consolidated management accounts of the group and other information currently available to the board of directors. Shareholders and potential investors are advised to consult the company’s interim results announcement, scheduled for release in August 2026.
