Cathay Pacific will launch a seasonal non-stop service to cosmopolitan Cape Town later this year, directly linking this popular business and tourism destination with Hong Kong for the first time.

The three-times-weekly service, from November 13, 2018 to February 18 2019, will complement Cathay Pacific’s existing daily non-stop flights to Johannesburg and will be operated by state-of-the-art Airbus A350-900 aircraft.

Cathay Pacific chief executive officer Rupert Hogg said: “We are very pleased to be able to expand our services in Africa, a booming aviation market. Growing our reach to destinations that are not otherwise served from Hong Kong creates considerable new opportunities for business, trade and tourism, in addition to strengthening our home hub.”

He added that the new service will meet customer demand for travel to the scenic Western Cape throughout the southern hemisphere’s peak summer months, as well as provide an additional option for South African-based travellers looking to fly on Cathay Pacific to Asia and beyond via Hong Kong.

The Cathay Pacific group has expanded its network significantly in recent times. In 2017, services to Tel Aviv, Barcelona and Christchurch were launched, while this January saw the inaugural service to Nanning. Other regional and international routes to commence in 2018 include Jinan and Brussels (March), Copenhagen (May), Dublin (June) and Washington DC (September).

Alan Winde, Western Cape Minister of Economic Opportunities, said: “We are thrilled that Cathay Pacific is launching a direct flight to Cape Town. This will allow us to unlock massive tourism potential from the East, a market which is already very important to us.”

Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro, the official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, echoed that sentiment and added: “This vote of confidence will help boost growth, help us land even more investment, and create additional jobs for the people of the Cape. We look forward to welcoming the first flight, and our team will work closely with the airline to help make the route a success.” - TradeArabia News Service