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The number of Middle East travellers booking flights with Hong Kong’s carrier Cathay Pacific has posted a “tremendous” increase following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in the southeast Asian city-state.
Cathay Pacific, which serves travellers in the GCC, reported on Thursday that traffic from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region- measured by revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) - surged by 85,180.5% in January 2023 compared to a year ago.
Hong Kong lifted almost all its COVID restrictions at the end of last year, following mainland China’s reopening. Effective late December 2023, travellers arriving in the city are no longer required to do mandatory PCR tests.
The airline carried a total of 187,106 passengers from countries in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia region, highlighting the market’s significant role in the continued recovery in international air travel.
The airline operates flights from Dubai International (DXB) and other airports around the region to various global destinations.
Across its global network, the airline carried over 1 million passengers in January alone, an increase of 4,077.9% compared with January 2022.
(Reporting by Cleofe Maceda; editing by Daniel Luiz)
