Stepping into 2026, Cathay officially launched its 80th anniversary celebrations, marking eight decades of moving its home city, people and global customers forward since 1946.
To usher in this milestone year and honour its legacy of bringing people together, Cathay will be hosting a series of special events, initiatives and activations throughout 2026 — all anchored by the unifying theme of “80 Years Together”.
As a prelude to its “80 Years Together” celebrations, Cathay unveiled a special aircraft livery on one of its long-haul Airbus A350 passenger aircraft at a launch event. This aircraft with special aircraft livery pays tribute to Cathay’s enduring legacy while heralding a new chapter ahead.
Adorned with the airline’s iconic “lettuce leaf sandwich” design as well as the 80th anniversary year mark, the livery pays homage to the much-loved green-and-white striped paint scheme, echoing Cathay’s legacy while symbolising its continued growth and progress. A second “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery on one of Cathay’s Boeing 747 freighters will also be revealed in the coming weeks.
Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam said: “Guided by our purpose to move people forward in life, Cathay and Hong Kong have grown together over the past eight decades. From Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok, whether it’s studying abroad, conducting business, exploring the world, reuniting with family, or delivering vital supplies at critical moments, Cathay has always stood with the people of Hong Kong through countless shared journeys and memories.
“Looking ahead, through our investment of well over HK$100 billion (USD12.8 billion) into our fleet, cabin products, lounges and digital innovation, Cathay will continue to elevate the customer experience. At the same time, we remain steadfast in our commitment to strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub.
Throughout 2026, around 1,000 to 2,000 of Cathay’s cabin crew and ground employees will wear and showcase vintage uniforms at work, bringing the evolution of the Cathay brand to life in true and paying tribute to the generations of people who have defined the signature Cathay service in the skies.
In addition, customers can look forward to a thoughtfully curated collection of merchandise inspired by the special liveries and iconic designs from different eras in Cathay’s history. The collection reimagines these elements across aviation, travel and everyday lifestyle essentials.
100 destinations
In June last year, the Cathay Group marked a meaningful milestone of reaching 100 passenger destinations across the globe.
During the summer peak last year, Cathay Pacific and HK Express operated passenger services to 23 destinations in the Chinese Mainland, providing more than 300 return flights per week. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific operated more than 110 return flights per week to eight destinations in North America and close to 100 return flights per week to 12 European destinations during the peak period last summer.
Some of the new destinations launched last year for Cathay Pacific include Dallas Fort Worth, Hyderabad, Rome, Munich, Brussels, Urumqi and Adelaide. For HK Express, some of its new destinations include Nha Trang in Vietnam, the Japanese cities of Sendai, Ishigaki, Komatsu, Miyako and those on Mainland China include Changzhou, Yiwu and Guiyang.
