On Thursday, Hong Kong-based airline Cathay Pacific announced that it would resume its scheduled flights from its base in Hong Kong to Delhi and Mumbai. Scheduled flights will resume from May 4th. The Mumbai to Hong Kong service will begin on the 4th, and scheduled flights to Delhi will follow shortly after on the 6th of May.
Connectivity to Cathay's network
Rakesh Raicar, the regional general manager of South Asia, Middle East, Africa, said, "We are delighted to resume our flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Hong Kong and look forward to welcoming passengers onboard."
"With our onward connections to key destinations, we will also be able to accommodate the resurgent demand for international travel," Mr Raicar added.
Indian flag carrier Air India recently suspended the flights between the two countries. The suspension is due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions in Hong Kong.
Air India operates direct flights to London. Photo: Getty Images
In addition to flights to and from India and Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific gives passengers a unique opportunity. Passengers can fly onwards to San Francisco, Vancouver, Los Angeles and even Sydney.
Given Hong Kong's unique geographical position, it might be preferable for some passengers to connect via Hong Kong to the United States.
Cathay is in direct competition with Air India. Air India wins with its direct flights between India and many American and Asian destinations in terms of destinations.
However, Air India does not compare to Cathay Pacific's business product. If passengers want to travel in style with ease, they will undoubtedly choose to fly Cathay Pacific.
The airline industry is always full of new developments! What aviation news will you check out next?
Ongoing COVID restrictions in Hong Kong
Hong Kong has one of the strictest restrictions in the world. Passengers arriving from India require a negative COVID-19 PCR test 48 hours before arriving.
These restrictions are a real headache for airlines such as Cathay Pacific, which is desperate to return to pre-pandemic levels. Cathay Pacific introduced a "Ready Fly" system to ease the pressure on passengers flying.
You upload your documents before flying, and it will check them – allowing an easy and hassle-free experience for travelers.
Hong Kong restrictions have been taking their toll on airlines. Photo: Getty Images
Financial woes
Due to the ongoing restrictions in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific looks on enviously at its European and American counterparts who are returning to pre-pandemic levels.
Cathay Pacific is recording loss after loss and is still being carried along by its cargo operations. Just this week, they had to increase the pay of their most senior pilots to stop them from resigning.
It's looking bleak at Cathay Pacific. In March, Cathay Pacific carried 30,628 passengers, an increase of 65.2% compared to March 2021 but a 99% decrease compared to March 2019.
Ronald Lam, Cathay Pacific's Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Ronald Lam, said, "March was yet another very difficult month for our travel business. Passenger flight capacity remained extremely low at just under 2% of pre-COVID-19 levels."
However, it seems that Hong Kong will be lifting some restrictions. On the 21st of March, they announced that restrictions on nine countries would ease.
This announcement is a significant relief for Cathay Pacific, who desperately want them lifted. With Thursday's announcement of the reinstatement of flights to India, it is clear that Cathay cannot wait to get back to flying.
What are your thoughts on the resumption of flights? Have you flown with Cathay Pacific? Comment below.
Source: LiveMint
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