From December 1, Cathay Pacific increases its route between Hong Kong and Brisbane from four to six flights a week, helping to support 840 jobs for Queenslanders. In addition, the airline celebrates its 41st anniversary of its arrival in Brisbane on a service operated on Boeing 747-200s.
“Make no mistake, the link between Brisbane and Hong Kong is one of the most important in the region for Queensland exports, and this will bring money into the pockets of rural producers across the state, as well as local seafood businesses and, of course, tour operators,” according to Oliver Philpot, Head of Aviation Marketing and Partnerships at Brisbane Airport Corporation.
Cathay Pacific is currently the only airline to offer scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Brisbane. Previously Qantas, the airline’s Oneworld partner operated on this segment, but has not resumed this service at this time.
The increased route will also benefit the region’s cargo exporters, allowing them to move their products to the United States and Japan via Hong Kong. Cathay also boosts Queensland’s tourism and economy, and its main hub allows international students to connect with their families.
Cathay Pacific flight schedule to Brisbane
- Hong Kong – Brisbane Flight CX 157 HKG 13:10 – BNE 23:35 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
- Brisbane – Hong Kong Flight CX 156 BNE 00:15 – HKG 07:30 Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The route is operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with a capacity of 368 passengers in three classes (40 Business Class/32 Premium Economy/296 Economy) and promotional fares are available from $1,536 round trip. In addition, Cathay Pacific moves 25 to 30 tons of cargo on all flights, allowing for exports of chilled beef, seafood and seasonal produce from Queensland.
In 2022, through Brisbane, 40,108 tons were exported in the 12 months to May 2023, representing 52% of pre-COVID exports. The top three export destinations were New Zealand, Singapore and Hong Kong.
According to data obtained by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Cities and Regional Development, 378,907 passengers and 16,527.4 tons of cargo were moved between Brisbane and Hong Kong in the period June 2018 to June 2019.
For the upcoming austral summer, in addition to the Brisbane operation, Cathay Pacific will have a schedule of 22 weekly flights to Sydney, 18 weekly flights to Melbourne and five weekly flights to Perth. In total, the airline will offer 31,116 seats per week between Hong Kong and Australia according to Cirium.
