Cathay Pacific recently resumed uninterrupted passenger service from Hyderabad to Hong Kong, operating three times a week. The move marks an important milestone in the airline’s expansion plan in India. “India has been a strong market for Cathay Pacific, with an average load factor of 86-87% across all ports in India,” said Rakesh Raicar, general manager of South Asia, Middle East and Africa.
The airline operates 39 flights from India, with three flights per day from Delhi and ten flights per week from Mumbai. Raicar stressed the importance of Hyderabad as a market and pointed out: “Hyderabad is crucial.
In terms of airline goals for the Hong Kong route of Hyderabad, Rekar identified leisure, VFR, corporate traveler and student transportation as key market segments. “In general, that’s the kind of mix we’re working on,” he explained.
Speaking about the inauguration and events, Raicar revealed that the airline is running promotional fares to routes in Hong Kong and North America. “We are currently running promotional fares to Hong Kong, which is our domestic market, and even North American routes, where we cater to the range around Dallas, San Francisco, Los Angeles,” he said.
The airline is also focused on providing competitive fares, promotional offers and high-quality services to strengthen its presence in the Indian market. Emphasizing the importance of India as a market, Raicar said: “India is big for us. We have been stronger in India. We are seeing that as we grow, demand is getting stronger.”
Cathay Pacific is optimistic about India’s growth prospects due to the growing demand for air travel and cargo services in the country. The airline is committed to providing high-quality services, including areas at advanced economic levels, hoping to take advantage of India’s growing demand for air travel.
To further enhance its products and enhance customer experience, the airline invested HK$100 billion. The investment includes orders for more than 100 new aircraft (which will be delivered sometime in 2027) and other new products.
Speaking about the total shipment of foreign goods, Rekar said: “130,000 metric tons were carried last year.” When asked if the number was the same as in 2020, he said: “Demand is similar. We are seeing the same trend. Overall, from an Indian perspective, the manufacturing dates are growing. A classic example is the growth mode and export capacity of the mobile industry are also growing.”
Raicar also discussed the increase in demand for air cargo in southern India, noting: “What we’re seeing is an increase of almost 25% southward.” He attributed this growth to manufacturing, especially the mobile and automotive industries.
Regarding hiring from India, Rekar said: “To rebuild the capacity at the rate we want to build, you need to recruit a lot of pilots, you need to recruit a lot of crew. So what we’ve been doing is that we’ve been out and diversifying our coverage, diversifying our coverage, diversifying our coverage, diversifying our coverage, recruiting pilots from other regions, including other regions of the world, including those over 700, including ours.
Raicar also stressed the importance of Hyderabad as a Cathay Pacific market, noting: “Hyderabad has a large number of Indian diaspora in North America, especially places like Dallas, Chicago and San Francisco. We do serve these markets. From here all the way to Dallas.” He added that the airline is starting a new route from Hong Kong to Dallas, which will add more supply to the market.
In terms of airline network connectivity, Raicar stressed the importance of Hong Kong as a hub. “About mainland China, we are very strong. In Northeast Asia, we are very strong. When I say Northeast Asia is Japan and South Korea. Because everything is in the same direction. We are very strong for North America. We have multiple actions from Hong Kong and that is an advantage for us.”
Commenting on what sets them apart from others, he said: “We have invested heavily in products, and Economy Class ranks it the best in the world. Our ARIA Suite has received an excellent response and design award. We focus on making services, networking, in-flight products, and resting with our main differentiators.”
Raicar signed the signing when he resumed Hyderabad operations five years later, saying: “We rebuild 100% of our capacity in two years and waited for the right time to start Hyderabad, thus ensuring that sufficient demand capacity has arrived in North America, which will be further improved by our new Dallas route starting April 25 and starting April 25.”
