Cathay Pacific celebrates the launch of direct flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh

Cathay Pacific is delighted to have commenced its non-stop passenger service between Hong Kong and Riyadh on Monday, 28 October 2024, offering customers from Hong Kong and across Asia-Pacific an exciting opportunity to explore the capital and financial centre of Saudi Arabia, and experience the diverse cultural offerings of the Middle East. These flights also connect more customers from the Middle East to Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond.

The new service not only enhances Cathay Pacific’s network in this important region, but also deepens trade, business and cultural ties between the airline’s home city, Hong Kong, and countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

To mark this significant milestone, Cathay Pacific celebrated the launch of the route’s inaugural flight with a ceremony at Hong Kong International Airport, hosted by Cathay Group Chair Patrick Healy and Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau.

The launch ceremony was attended by distinguished guests, including Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong SAR (HKSAR) Government Paul Chan Mo-po, who travelled to Riyadh to lead a delegation of over 100 financial, business and information technology leaders from Hong Kong. Also attending the ceremony were Consul General of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Hong Kong Hamad Aljebreen, Non-Official Member of the Executive Council Jeffrey Lam, Acting Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the Airport Authority Hong Kong Vivian Cheung, Chairman of the Financial Services Development Council Laurence Li, and Commissioner for Belt and Road Nicholas Ho.

Speaking at the launch ceremony, Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po said: “The relaunched Cathay service symbolises the growing ties between Hong Kong and Riyadh. I am confident it will accelerate business, cultural and people-to-people ties between our two cities and our two economies. As Hong Kong continues to expand its role in the Belt and Road Initiative, this connection will surely fast track the future success of both regions. It also aligns aptly with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”

Cathay’s Patrick Healy said: “The inauguration of our Hong Kong-Riyadh route is another testament to Cathay’s commitment to strengthening Hong Kong’s global connectivity as an international aviation hub, and our continued support for the Central Government’s Belt and Road Initiative. The new service further expands our footprint in the Middle East — an important region in the world — while promoting opportunities for business, trade and tourism along the Belt and Road. With the commissioning of the Three-Runway System just weeks away, Hong Kong’s aviation industry is entering an exciting new era, and we look forward to playing our part as our home hub continues to go from strength to strength.”

Arriving at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport onboard the inaugural flight, Cathay’s Lavinia Lau was received by Riyadh Airports Company Chief Commercial Officer Abdulaziz Al-Asaker and representatives from the Saudi Air Connectivity Program.

In addition, Cathay hosted an evening cocktail reception on 29 October at The St. Regis Riyadh, celebrating the route launch with its partners and stakeholders in the Saudi Arabia capital. Attended by over 100 distinguished guests, including Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po, Vice President Commercial of the Saudi Air Connectivity Program Rashed Alshammari, and Chief Partnership and Executive Affairs Officer of the Saudi Tourism Authority Abdullah Alhagbani, the event provided an opportunity for cultural exchange and to connect representatives and stakeholders from both Hong Kong and Riyadh.

Hosting the event, Cathay’s Lavinia Lau said: “This is truly an exciting occasion for all of us at Cathay Pacific. We are committed to making our home city a leading international aviation hub that connects people to the most amazing cities around the globe. Riyadh, as the capital and financial centre of Saudi Arabia, is a fantastic addition to our network.

“We can’t wait to see how our new flights will spark more trade and cultural exchanges between our two vibrant cities, and indeed the rest of the Middle East. We very much look forward to welcoming customers from Riyadh and the region onboard our flights, whether they are travelling to Hong Kong to experience everything that our home city has to offer, or seamlessly connecting to the many onward destinations across Asia-Pacific that we fly to.”

Cathay Pacific’s thrice-weekly passenger service between Hong Kong and Riyadh is operated by its modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft, featuring Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins. The flight schedule for the service is as follows (all times local):

In addition to Riyadh, Cathay Pacific operates daily flights between Hong Kong and Dubai in the Middle East. The new passenger service also complements Cathay Cargo’s freighter services between Hong Kong and Riyadh, which it has been operating since 2021.

The Cathay Group continues to add more flights and destinations to its global passenger network and within 2025, it will fly customers to 100 destinations worldwide.