The Cathay Group in the present day launched its traffic figures for February 2026, reflecting a powerful begin within the first two months of the 12 months because of the momentum seen in January carrying over into the next month.
This growth is attributed to the height journey season of the Lunar New Year.
Likewise, the Cathay Group set a brand new single-day passenger report on 14th February which noticed a complete of 128,000 passengers.
In whole, Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried over 3.2 million passengers final month, surpassing the February 2025 whole by 24 %.
A risky interval
However, Cathay chief buyer and business officer Lavinia Lau identified that efficiency this month is in for a difficult time, owing to the risky state of world occasions.
Lau stated: “Turning to March, the global geopolitical environment is volatile and this is causing unexpected shifts in passenger and cargo traffic flows as well as a significant increase in the price of jet fuel. In view of the current situation in the Middle East, we have temporarily suspended Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights as well as Cathay Cargo’s freighter services to Dubai and Riyadh up to and including 30th April.”
Lau added that, as prospects prioritise different journey routes because of airspace closures within the Middle East, the Group has added additional flights to London and offered further capability to Zurich in March to cater for a surge in demand for Europe.
The Cathay Group continues to watch the state of affairs as of press time.
Cathay Pacific in February 2026
Cathay Pacific carried 24 % extra passengers in February 2026 in contrast with February 2025, whereas Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) elevated by 16 %.
In the primary two months of 2026, the variety of passengers carried elevated by 17 % in contrast with the identical interval for 2025.
According to Lau: “During the Lunar New Year holidays, we saw particularly strong outbound travel demand from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area, with short-haul destinations being the most popular. Meanwhile, inbound traffic to Hong Kong also recorded healthy growth, supported by demand from long-haul markets and the Chinese Mainland. Business travel rebounded quickly towards the end of the month, resulting in robust load factors in our premium cabins.”
As of in the present day, 18th March, bookings for Cathay Pacific stay sturdy for the remainder of March, pushed by leisure journey throughout Asia.
Lau added: “We also look forward to launching our new five-times-weekly Seattle service on 30th March, further strengthening the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub.”
Cathay Cargo carried extra all through the month
Cathay Cargo carried seven % extra cargo in February 2026 than in February 2025, whereas Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) elevated by 4 %.
In the primary two months of 2026, the entire tonnage elevated by six % in contrast with the identical interval for 2025.
Furthermore, cargo tonnage in February declined in opposition to the earlier month because of the Lunar New Year holidays.
As Lau defined it: “We saw a pre-holiday rush across our home market and the wider Greater Bay Area, followed by softer demand later in the month. Meanwhile, demand for our Cathay Secure solution remained resilient, particularly from Europe and the Americas to Asia, while our Cathay Live Animal solution saw notable growth, supported by increased live lobster shipments from Oceania to Hong Kong. Turning to March, overall air cargo demand is expected to improve as we ramp up our scheduled freighter frequencies in preparation for the quarter end.”
HK Express’ numbers had been up 25 %
Meanwhile, HK Express carried over 730,000 passengers in February 2026, a rise of 25 % 12 months on 12 months, whereas Available Seat Kilometers’ (ASKs) grew by 14 %.
In the primary two months of 2026, the variety of passengers carried elevated by 16% in contrast with the identical interval for 2025.
Passenger numbers had been buoyed by the Lunar New Year traffic, as HK Express achieved a load issue of 86 % in February, with South Korea routes being the preferred.
Lau stated: “We also saw a significant increase in demand to Malaysia and the Chinese Mainland, which outpaced capacity growth. Looking ahead, bookings remain healthy in March, with demand outpacing capacity increase compared with last year.”
