Hong Kong – Cathay Pacific has partnered with the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority (WKCDA) to unveil “Spirit of Hong Kong – 80th Anniversary Edition”, a striking new art-focused aircraft livery celebrating the airline’s milestone year.
Cathay has been WestK’s travel partner since 2023, supporting its arts and cultural exhibitions and performing arts programmes through passenger and cargo services.
Launched alongside Cathay’s 80th anniversary this year, the new livery combines WestK’s “Where Art Comes Alive” brand vision with Cathay’s “Move Beyond” brand ethos, reflecting the partners’ shared aim to promote Hong Kong’s arts and creative industries.
The livery appears on a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft and draws inspiration from Cathay Pacific’s “Gallery in the Skies” concept in its Business Class cabins. It features artwork by Hong Kong multimedia artist Victor Wong, who used technology to generate landscapes from geographical data.
The design incorporates Cathay’s “80 Years Together” anniversary mark alongside the WestK logo. The aircraft is intended to serve as a platform to showcase Hong Kong’s arts and culture to international audiences as it operates across the airline’s network.
The aircraft entered service following the unveiling ceremony. Passengers on its inaugural flight also experienced a reimagined version of Cathay’s sonic branding, Song of Cathay, performed by Hong Kong pianist, composer and producer Patrick Lui. The updated piece incorporates elements of modern jazz and will be introduced on selected Cathay Pacific passenger flights from mid-2026.
The unveiling ceremony was held at Hong Kong International Airport and attended by Bernard Chan, chairman of the board at WKCDA; Ronald Lam, chief executive officer of Cathay Group; Betty Fung, chief executive officer of WKCDA; Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer at Cathay; and Joyce Ho, deputy chief executive officer for corporate development at WKCDA.
Commenting on the launch, Bernard Chan said, “As one of the world’s leading cultural arts hubs, WestK has strived to expand its network of partnerships, implementing its dual ‘bringing in’ and ‘going global’ strategies to foster Hong Kong’s development into an East-meets-West centre for international cultural exchange.”
He added, “Since 2023, Cathay has served as WestK’s travel partner, supporting our exhibitions, performing arts programmes and cultural events. The launch of the Spirit of Hong Kong livery highlights our shared vision to support Hong Kong’s outstanding artists and creations and to bring Hong Kong’s arts, culture, and creative prowess onto the global stage. Spirit of Hong Kong embodies WestK’s vision of transcending boundaries and connecting the world, inviting travellers from across the globe to immerse themselves in Hong Kong’s profound cultural heritage and boundless creative spirit.”
The collaboration brings together two Hong Kong-based organisations seeking to highlight the city’s cultural sector and creative talent on the global stage.
“For eight decades, Cathay has grown alongside Hong Kong. As we mark ‘80 Years Together’ with our home city, we are honouring our heritage with the return of our classic ‘lettuce leaf sandwich’ livery on our Airbus A350 and Boeing 747 aircraft, while also embracing the future with a vibrant modern art livery on our Boeing 777-300ER aircraft,” Ronald Lam commented.
“In partnership with WKCDA and through ‘The Spirit of Hong Kong’ livery, we aim to support outstanding local artistic creativity and showcase the unique culture and spirit of Hong Kong to audiences around the world. Through our investment of well over HK$100 billion into our fleet, cabin products, lounges and digital innovation, we will continue to win hearts and strengthen Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub — moving our city, customers and team forward together,” he added.
