Tag: Cathay Pacific

Hong Kong – Cathay marked a nostalgic return to Kai Tak on the final day of the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, staging a low-altitude flypast to celebrate the former airport’s 100th anniversary and the tournament’s debut at Kai Tak Sports Park.

For decades, Kai Tak served as Hong Kong’s international gateway, famed for its challenging 47-degree turn at 700 feet—one of the most difficult airport approaches in the world. Pilots were required to navigate between high-rise buildings, a spectacle that drew global attention until the airport’s closure in 1998.

“Everyone remembers the stories of Cathay Pacific’s aircraft flying in and out of Kai Tak. So we turned the nostalgia into an event to get the world talking about the Sevens, held for the first time at the new Kai Tak Sports Park,” said Edward Bell, general manager for brand, insights and marketing communications at Cathay. 

After 27 years, Cathay Pacific returned to Kai Tak with flight CX8100—named in honour of Kai Tak’s 100th anniversary. The aircraft took off from Hong Kong International Airport around 4pm on Sunday, March 30, flying past Central, Wan Chai, Kai Tak, North Point, and through Victoria Harbour in a dramatic recreation of aviation history.

To enable the flypast, Cathay collaborated with the Hong Kong SAR Government to create a temporary restricted flying zone over Victoria Harbour. Publicis Groupe Hong Kong then brought in veteran aviation photographers—renowned for capturing Cathay’s iconic Kai Tak landings—to document the moment. Their images and live-streamed footage of CX8100 are now being shared widely across the globe and Cathay’s social channels.

Cathay has also released a short documentary-style video offering a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and preparation behind Flight CX8100’s historic flypast over Kai Tak.

“Creating a live performance of an aircraft flying past Kai Tak seemed like an audacious feat. But together with the team at Cathay, we worked hard to plan an experience that everyone at this year’s Hong Kong Sevens final will remember. Hopefully for years to come,” shared Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong.

Cathay is the exclusive founding travel partner of Kai Tak Sports Park, supporting the venue’s efforts to promote sports, arts, and culture in Hong Kong. The partnership aims to attract global visitors through immersive experiences that highlight the city’s international appeal.

Hong Kong – Cathay has unveiled its latest campaign for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, capturing the inevitable FOMO that awaits anyone missing out on next year’s highly anticipated event.

Titled ‘Nothing Beats Being There,’ the campaign film follows Johnny, a wannabe rugby aficionado who fakes enthusiasm to impress his boss and score a trip to Hong Kong. His plan ultimately unravels, and his dream of attending the 2025 Hong Kong Sevens slips away.

The campaign reveals that only those who experience the Hong Kong Sevens firsthand know the real excitement—and that a little harmless fakery can backfire in embarrassing ways.

“We’ve all been there, pretending to know more about something than we actually do for fear of missing out. When Cathay challenged us to show that nothing beats being at the Sevens in person, we couldn’t resist tapping into that FOMO feeling to show that nobody does rugby like Hong Kong,” said Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong. 

Featuring nail-biting matches, wild costumes, and non-stop fun, the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens is the city’s ultimate party, growing bigger and better each year.

As co-title sponsor and official overseas travel partner, Cathay is dedicated to enhancing the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens experience for fans worldwide, offering exclusive flight, ticket, and accommodation packages available at Cathay.com.

Next year also marks a milestone for the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, as it will debut at the world-class Kai Tak Sports Park, solidifying Hong Kong’s status as a premier destination for major international events.

Edward Bell, general manager of brand, insights, and marketing at Cathay, explained, “Cathay has been a proud sponsor of the Hong Kong Sevens for over 40 years, and the move to Kai Tak Sports Park from Hong Kong Stadium is especially meaningful as Kai Tak was Cathay’s home for more than 40 years.” 

“Everyone becomes fanatical about fun during the Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, an event that attracts everyone from die-hard rugby fans to revellers enjoying the party atmosphere. Better than rugby, it is an all-consuming festival that no fun-loving person would want to miss, so we have created a campaign that shows nothing beats being there in person,” Bell added. 

Cathay’s ‘Nothing Beats Being There’ campaign expands on its long-standing ‘Nobody Does Rugby Like Hong Kong’ platform. The launch film will be accompanied by social media activations, in-stadium promotions, and giveaways both in Hong Kong and globally, leading up to the next Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Sevens at Kai Tak Stadium from March 28-30, 2025.

Hong Kong – Cathay Pacific has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Where Artistry Takes Flight,’ to introduce its newest Business Class offering, the Aria Suite, designed to elevate the in-flight experience through artful elegance and innovation.

Cathay Pacific’s new Aria Suite showcases a human-centric design that emphasises comfort and elegance. Its unique sculptural form, ambient lighting, and meticulously crafted textiles are thoughtfully integrated to create an immersive experience. Aria Suite promises people a different experience where artistry and attention to detail are at the heart of service. 

Created by Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, the accompanying launch film invites viewers to embark on a journey through the Aria Suite, showcasing its features from takeoff to landing. The film positions the suite not merely as an airline product but as a thoughtfully crafted work of art.

The film highlights the emotional responses evoked by each feature in the suite: adjustable warm lighting that mimics the sun, a sculptural wrap-around design that offers a sense of private escape, and a curated collection of ‘Gallery in the Skies’ artworks that transform the cabin into a painterly landscape. The film also captures the sensation of grassy fields through rohi’s breathable woven wool and showcases flowing fabrics that embody the comfort and softness of the Aria Suite’s bedding.

“The Aria Suite is your private hideaway in the sky—a place to relax in quiet, comfortable luxury, where every detail has been carefully considered to elevate your experience on board,” said Vivian Lo, general manager for customer experience & design at Cathay Pacific. 

This marks the first time Cathay Pacific has branded its Business Class product, backed by a campaign that showcases the state-of-the-art features making the Aria Suite the pinnacle of comfort and privacy.

Edward Bell, general manager for brand, insights, and marketing communications, shared, “The Aria Suite takes Cathay Pacific’s already exceptional business-class experience to the next level, so we needed a campaign that captures the artistry of its design, immersing the audience in different sensorial worlds inspired by the suite itself.” 

Christopher Lee, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Hong Kong, added, “Cathay Pacific is elevating the craft in business class, so we set out to craft a campaign that is worthy of the Aria Suite’s impeccable design and artistry. Every evocative scene, every crafted detail, captures the warmth and tactility of the Aria Suite’s distinctive and mindful design, curves, and texture. Even the music is an original piece designed to make you feel the suite’s timeless humanity, but with a modern beat.” 

Cathay Pacific will progressively introduce its newly designed Boeing 777-300ER cabins starting this month. Alongside the revamped Business Class experience, both the Premium Economy and Economy cabins have also been meticulously redesigned to maximise comfort. 

An exclusive launch event at HAECO Aircraft Hangar in Hong Kong kicked off the unveiling of the Aria Suite, drawing celebrities, influencers, journalists, and valued Cathay members. The hangar was transformed to reflect the suite’s warmth and elegance, showcasing a ‘Gallery in the Skies’ featuring artworks from Hong Kong artists that transport viewers to another world. Soon, out-of-home billboards will extend this gallery experience to a wider audience.

Singapore – Cathay Pacific airlines has announced key changes to its management roles across the Southeast Asian region. 

The appointments span from Cathay Pacific’s regional office in Singapore with new key roles, to new country managers in Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, and Cambodia. 

Cathay Pacific’s regional office in Singapore will see the appointment of Jonathan Ng, regional head of customer travel and lifestyle, Southeast Asia, replacing Ray Fung, who is now head of lifestyle strategy and partnerships in Hong Kong. Prior to his current role, Ng was seconded to HK Express as general manager, corporate planning, he was part of the transition team following the acquisition of the low-cost carrier by the Cathay Group.

Adding to Singapore’s regional office is Ashish Kapur as the regional head of cargo, Southeast Asia, replacing Siddhant Iyer, who will take on the role of head of cargo markets and customer solutions in Hong Kong. Prior to his current role, Kapur was the area manager for Cathay Pacific in Northern Europe, where he oversaw the entire Northern European operations and managed the teams based in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Scandinavia.

Notably, Dominic Perret remains the regional general manager for Southeast Asia, where he is responsible for all commercial, operational and support functions across the seven countries that Cathay Pacific operates in across the region. 

For the new country managers in Southeast Asia, Cathay Pacific has appointed Tony Sham as the country manager for Indonesia, replacing Matthew Choi, who is now general manager of corporate planning for HK Express. Prior to his current appointment, Sham worked as regional head of customer travel and lifestyle for Northeast Asia in Tokyo.

Vishnu Rajendran steps in as the country manager for Philippines, replacing Donald Morris, who is now country manager of Korea. Rajendran was area manager of the Middle East, and was also acting country manager for South Africa & the Indian Ocean, as well as Acting Country lead for Sri Lanka & Maldives.

Robbie Blackwood joins as country manager for Malaysia & Brunei. Based in Kuala Lumpur, he replaces Roger Li, who is now a cadet pilot with Cathay Pacific. Blackwood has gained experience in key areas for Cathay, including cargo, customer experience, and people (HR).

Nicolas Masse also enters as the new country manager for Vietnam & Cambodia, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Masse replaces Jason Choi, who is now regional head of customer travel and lifestyle, Northeast Asia. Prior to this, Masse was Cathay Pacific’s country manager for Korea.

Lastly, Keri Lui remains as the country manager for Thailand, based in Bangkok.

Hong Kong – As travel regains momentum, international airline Cathay Pacific has unveiled its campaign made with Publicis Groupe Hong Kong called ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’, which gives a gentle wink to Hong Kongers’ unique quirk of keepsaking.

To inspire people to ‘get moving’ again, Cathay Pacific celebrates the ‘unshakable bond’ by using actual data taken from Cathay flights to unearth its most popular branded items – and making them the stars of its new campaign. 

“Our research showed that in Hong Kong, many people have some Cathay items tucked away somewhere. We found this encouraging and inspiring as we tend to keep mementos of those things we value and want to remember. So, we decided to build on this and ask all these keepsakes to come to life and encourage us all to ‘Let’s get moving’,” said Edward Bell, general manager, brand, insights, and marketing communications at Cathay Pacific. 

Meanwhile, Natalie Lam, chief creative officer, Publicis Groupe APAC and MEA, also commented, “There’s a deep bond between Cathay and Hong Kongers over all the trips taken in the past 70 years. Every pen, deck of cards, cup or eye mask we have at home brings us back to the fond memories of each trip.”

Lam added, “We love the idea of celebrating flying again with this universal truth, telling the story through the lens of these ‘keepsakes’ between the airline and its customers.” 

Some of Hong Kong’s most renowned influencers and celebrities are now coming clean about their favourite Cathay items, while on social channels, Cathay is inviting Hong Kongers to get their own hoarding stories off their chests.

The ‘Let’s Get Moving ;P’ campaign will run in Hong Kong throughout April and May.

Hong Kong – In its ongoing stance to improve their engagement with customers, airline Cathay Pacific has recently announced its newest premium travel lifestyle brand called simply ‘Cathay’ that merges “positive things” on travel and lifestyle. 

Over the coming months, ‘Cathay’ will be rolling out a range of new offers in spending, dining, shopping, hotels, and wellness – enabling it to engage with their customers not only when they fly with them, but “everyday.” 

‘Cathay’ brings together Cathay Pacific and its existing loyalty programs Marco Polo Club and Asia Miles all in one place, simplifying the way customers can interact with them, including how to earn status and use miles.

Through the new brand, ‘Cathay’ is also set to make its proposition more appealing. By integrating its offerings and forging better partnerships, it promises to bring a wider range of products and services to the benefit of customers.

As part of the initial launch is a new Cathay co-branded credit card – which will be rolled out in Hong Kong soon. These will all culminate in an upcoming refreshed customer relationship program in the first half of 2022. 

Augustus Tang, chief executive officer at Cathay Pacific, notes that the center of the ‘Cathay’ brand is a so-called ‘celebration of all the best things we love – and have missed – about travel’.

“We are very proud to have been connecting our customers with people, places and experiences around the world through the joy of travel. Our ability to enter the travel lifestyle space and the success of this strategy is built upon the enduring strength, trust and respect that Cathay Pacific has established over 75 years of accomplishments, and the hard work and dedication of our people around the world,” Tang stated.

He added, “‘Cathay’ reinforces our commitment to engage with our customers in their everyday lives with world-class service. By adding more value and simplicity, we are helping to move them forward in life as per our ‘Move Beyond’ purpose.”

‘Cathay’ will be only available in Hong Kong at the moment, as Cathay Pacific will work out in the near future to expand the travel lifestyle brand to other markets in the near future.