Cathay Pacific Airways to Re-Introduce Hong Kong- London Gatwick Route in 2016

12/9/2015

Cathay Pacific Airways, the airline of Hong Kong, have announced a 10% increase in their flights between the UK and Hong Kong, showcasing a high demand for the popular long-haul city pair. Currently, the airline, which is one of founding members of the Oneworld Alliance, flies only to London Heathrow and Manchester in the U.K. However, with this move, a total of 43 flights a week between the UK and Hong Kong will be enabled, with the introduction of a new four-times-weekly service to London’s Gatwick Airport, starting from 2 September, 2016. The carrier stopped flying to Gatwick back in 1993, and it would be great news for the airline to start flying from London's southern airport. Gatwick usually hosts North American and European carriers (including charter flights), but in recent years, the airport has started hosting the likes of Emirates, Turkish, Iraqi Airways and Air China to name a few. The addition of Cathay Pacific Airways to Gatwick's list of airlines will give the airport an even more international feel to it.

At the time of writing, the new route is still subject to government approval. The new service will complement the airline’s current five-times-daily service to Heathrow Airport for a total of 39 flights a week between Hong Kong and London – more than any other carrier on this competitive route (British Airways and Virgin operate the other non-stop flights on the route). In addition to serving London, Cathay Pacific also offers a four-times-weekly service between Hong Kong and Manchester in the United Kingdom, catering for the large Chinese diaspora that lives in Manchester and the surrounding northern British cities.

Cathay Pacific plan to operate the Gatwick service with its brand new Airbus A350-900 aircraft, which will eventually feature the ‘yet to be revealed’ refreshed Business Class cabin, as well as a spanking new Premium Economy Class and Economy Class cabin. When it does so, Cathay will become the first A350 operator into Gatwick. The aircraft will feature the airline’s much needed refreshed livery design (please click here to check it out!)

Want to know what's it like to fly with Cathay Pacific? Check these flight reviews that I wrote:

Doha-Hong Kong (Airbus A330, Business Class)

London Heathrow - Hong Kong (Boeing 747-400, Premium Economy Class)

Hong Kong - London Heathrow (Boeing 777-300ER, Business Class)

Various flights with Dragonair (all Business Class) - Dragonair is part of the Cathay Pacific Group

A mockup of the A350 in the new Cathay Pacific livery: Photo Copyright Cathay Pacific Airways

About Airline PR

This is a special section on Airline Branding, and Airline Public Relations written by me on all the flights I have been fortunate enough to have been on. These are not records taken from somewhere else, but are actual flights I have been on. Most of the flight trips are officially sponsored by the airline companies in order to promote their certain routes, and aircraft. Airline promotion and PR related work in the aviation industry is one of my expertise.

This section of the website will grow in time, and will include detailed reviews of the in-flight meals, the airline seats, the comfort of the overall trip, the customer service both at the check-in-desk as well as by the Cabin Crew; and how good the assistance has been by the airline staff. All the reviews are honest, fair, firm, and non-biased.

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All the flights I have taken in my life are documented on this weblog except for any flights that were taken before 2003. These included Syrian Airlines (747SP in 1985), British Airways (2003 to Dubai), Aeroflot (IL-62, and IL-86 in 1989) and a few others. I regret not documenting them because I never thought of doing that back in those days.

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For all media reviews, special permission has been granted from the airline authorities, and even from airport authorities for the photos/videos taken on-board the aircraft and on the ramp because it is strictly forbidden to take photos and videos on and around the aircraft without permission.

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Navjot Singh at a Chinese Military Airfield

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Special thanks goes to
Turkish Airlines