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Cathay
Pacific Airways
The
airline was founded in 1946 by the American Roy Farrell
and the Australian Sydney de Kantzow with the symbolic invention
of just one Hongkong-Dollar. Cathay's first aircraft, a
DC-3 called "Betsy" connected Hongkong with Shanghai
and Sydney. After two years in service, the airline received
the flight-rights for all destinations located in the south
of Hongkong. In 1959, Cathay also received the rights to
fly to destinations north of the Crown Colony after the
merger of Hong Kong Airways.
 In
the year 1961, Cathay entered the jet age with the purchase
of a Convair CV880, which remained in their fleet until
1975. With the Boeing 707, which entered the fleet in 1970,
Cathay Pacific began its global expanding with new destinations
in the Middle East and London. In 1983, Cathay Pacific flew
to Vancouver for the first time, connecting Northern America
to its growing route network.
The
fleet was now based on wide-body aircraft, such as the Lockheed
L1011 or the Boeing 747-200. Today, Cathay Pacific operates
a fleet of 66 aircraft from Airbus A330 up to the Boeing
747-400.
Cathay
Pacific is one of the most successful private airlines in
the world. The airline is always improving their client
service and the comfort on board of its aircraft. That makes
Cathay Pacific to one of the world's best airlines, winning
awards nearly every year.
But
the passenger transport is not the only division of Cathay
Pacific. The airline operates also a fleet of over 10 Boeing
747 freighter aircraft. Cathay Pacific makes around 25%
of its revenue from cargo and mail business.
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Hongkong
is home for three very successful airlines which offers different
services to their customers. As Hongkong is such a small place
with only about 6 million of inhabitants, it is more amazing
that there are such big and important airlines.
Lately,
Dragonair introduced a new cargo-flight to Dubai and Manchester,
using a Boeing 747-200F which has been leased from Atlas
Air. For the further expanding of the cargo network, Dragonair
has acquired two Boeing 747-300 from Singapore Airlines,
which will now be converted to freighters.
Air
Hongkong
