The Cathay Group reported significant growth as it released its traffic figures for July 2025 on Friday, 22nd August.
Company authorities pointed out that July marks the beginning of the traditional summer peak travel season for the passenger side of the business.
According to Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau: “Together, Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried approximately 3.2 million passengers, the most of any month so far this year. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo carried over 140,000 tonnes of cargo in July.”
Passenger results for July
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific carried 24 percent more passengers in July 2025 compared with July 2024, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 30 percent.
In the first seven months of 2025, Cathay Pacific carried 27 percent more passengers compared with the same period for 2024.
Lau pointed out: “The robust demand Cathay Pacific saw in July was primarily driven by long-haul traffic to and from Hong Kong in the first half of the month, particularly among students and those visiting friends and relatives, followed by leisure traffic to regional destinations such as South Korea and Southeast Asia in the second half of July. These traffic flows contributed to a load factor of 86 percent in July.”
Looking towards the August 2025 results, the airline reports a successful resumption of its Hong Kong-Brussels route which now flies four times a week to the Belgian capital.
Lau added: “Looking further ahead, we expect student traffic to provide a travel boost in September ahead of the new school year, while the National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday periods are expected to stimulate leisure travel demand from Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland in October.”
HK Express
HK Express, on the other hand, carried more than 680,000 passengers in July 2025, an increase of 22 percent year on year, while ASKs rose by 38 percent.
In the first seven months of 2025, the number of passengers carried increased by 32 percent compared with the same period for 2024.
Lau said of the progress: “HK Express has continued to expand its network with the launch of new routes to Guiyang in July and Kuala Lumpur (Subang) in early August. Demand for flights to Japan remained subdued in July due to earthquake rumours, and while we are gradually seeing a pickup in bookings in August, they are yet to return to normal levels.”
The cargo business in July
With regard to the Group’s air freight business, Cathay Cargo carried 11 percent more cargo in July 2025 than in July 2024, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) likewise increased by 11 percent.
In the first seven months of 2025, the total tonnage also increased by 11 percent compared with the same period for 2024.
Lau said of this: “In July, we saw increased cargo tonnage compared with the same month last year, reflecting the movement of air cargo ahead of the tariff timelines. Meanwhile, our capacity grew by six percent compared with the previous month, with strong demand from Southeast Asia to Hong Kong in particular, driven by machinery and perishables. Demand for our Cathay Fresh solution was buoyed by the seasonal movement of cherries from the United States. Looking ahead, the external environment remains uncertain and we will continue to stay vigilant and agile while serving demand where it arises.”
