1946
American Roy C Farrell and Australian Sydney Kantzow founded Cathay Pacific. Originally based in Shanghai, the two men eventually moved to Hong Kong and established the airline. Rumour has it that Farrel and a group of foreign correspondents thought up the name while in a bar at the Manila Hotel.
1948
The new company starts flying to Manila, Bangkok, Singapore and Shanghai. In 1948, one of Hong Kong’s leading trading companies – Butterfield & Swire (which is today thought of as the Swire Group) took a 45% share in the company.
1977
Dubai becomes the second destination in the Middle East for Cathay Pacific, following Bahrain. The twice-weekly service (which left Hong Kong via Bangkok and Bahrain) was operated by a Boeing 707.
1979
Cathay Pacific rolls out a computerised reservation system and flight simulators. The first Boeing 747-200 arrives in Hong Kong, and services expand to Europe and North America.
1986
Cathay Pacific begins operating a Boeing 747 on the Bangkok-Mumbai-Dubai route. By the end of the decade, it was operating four weekly services from Hong Kong to Dubai.
1998
Hong Kong International Airport moves from Kai Tak in Victoria Harbour to the island of Chek Lap Kok, which is largely comprised of reclaimed land. The new airport becomes Cathay Pacific’s primary hub.
2002
Following the redevelopment of Dubai International Airport, Cathay Pacific increases the airline’s frequency to the emirates. In 2002, Cathay Pacific began operating five weekly direct routes between Hong Kong and Dubai.
2016
Cathay Pacific says farewell to its final Boeing 747, after the aircraft flew its last flight between Hong Kong and Haneda Aiprort in Tokyo. The aircraft – which joined the fleet in 1979 – was Cathay’s sole long-haul aircraft type until the mid-1990s.
2017
Cathay Pacific celebrates its 40th anniversary of its services between Hong Kong International Airport to Dubai International Airport.
