When will Cathay Pacific return to Adelaide?

[AIRwin]

Doesn't sound promising:

Beijing ‘pressing Cathay to expand Hong Kong services but airline lacks pilots’

Airline struggling to meet expectations to expand flights to Middle East and Asia, and can only start direct flights to Riyadh in October, behind mainland Chinese competitors.

amp.scmp.com

 

[Sprucegoose]

Doesn't sound promising:

Beijing ‘pressing Cathay to expand Hong Kong services but airline lacks pilots’

Airline struggling to meet expectations to expand flights to Middle East and Asia, and can only start direct flights to Riyadh in October, behind mainland Chinese competitors.

amp.scmp.com

Maybe if they treated people better, they could become an employer of choice, like they used to be.

 

[Saab34]

I recall they closed all Australian Pilot bases as well as those in the US. If you read that Pilot site Pprune, the toxicity in the forums are off the charts when the carrier is talked about.

I recall Cathay had a large cohort of US/UK/AU Pilots. Obviously most have gone.

 

[Sprucegoose]

I recall Cathay had a large cohort of US/UK/AU Pilots. Obviously most have gone.

Bob Hawke and Sir Peter Ables organised all those roles!

 

[CJEMNMAC]

I would love the ADL flights to return. Although I am in SYD I used to nearly always go to USA on Cathay departing ADL rewards in J and F from HKG ...was a big fan of this

 

[Luke899]

Good news! I've been told cathay AND china southern will return to Adelaide by the end of this year. Really fantastic developments announced

 

[kamchatsky]

Good news! I've been told cathay AND china southern will return to Adelaide by the end of this year. Really fantastic developments announced

Where did you hear it? Surprised given CX doesn't have enough aircraft to resume all routes.

 

[jase05]

Good news! I've been told cathay AND china southern will return to Adelaide by the end of this year. Really fantastic developments announced

Great news if so. I haven’t heard anything whatsoever but will be very happy if it eventuates

 

[SYD]

Where did you hear it? Surprised given CX doesn't have enough aircraft to resume all routes.

Aircraft? I thought their current problem was a serious lack of pilots.

 

[AIRwin]

Where did you hear it? Surprised given CX doesn't have enough aircraft to resume all routes.

All aircraft out of storage:

Cathay to cut worldwide capacity by 30% [Now 96%]

Cathay website is so popular there's a waiting room! I got that too but I really hope it's a weird joke... I have zero intention of booking a Cathay ticket but if in the past (pre covid) they'd made me sit in a "virtual waiting room" I would have already started to look elsewhere. Also just...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Ho Really]

It seems their intent is to return in January 2025. Five days a week:
TUE/WED/THU/FRI/SUN
Airbus A350-900
Arr ADL 10:25
Dep ADL 12:20
But nothing is showing up on their website for bookings. Keep your fingers crossed.

 

[AIRwin]

It seems their intent is to return in January 2025. Five days a week:
TUE/WED/THU/FRI/SUN
Airbus A350-900
Arr ADL 10:25
Dep ADL 12:20
But nothing is showing up on their website for bookings. Keep your fingers crossed.

Ho Really?

 

[Spizz]

In the news now. Good result.

 

[jase05]

In the news now. Good result.

Still no confirmed date though unfortunately. I’d suspect it won’t be until early next year

 

[Spizz]

Yeah just saying the summer. Jan next year like the poster mentions above is fine by me.

 

[jase05]

Yeah just saying the summer. Jan next year like the poster mentions above is fine by me.

I’d be happier if it started in September.
I could cancel my QF award flight and go with CX instead

 

[AIRwin]

$urprised CN$ is resuming before ADL

 

[Saab34]

Adelaide Government normally throw a bit of cash around so perhaps they have stopped.

 

[Daver6]

CX adding more PER flights and putting the A350 on as well Cathay Pacific boosts flights, adds A350 to Perth

 

[RSVKanga]

I don't think there is any issue with Cathay, or any airline that is/was hesitant/slow in returning to ADL. The fact that Cathay has added more PER flights and announced a resumption of CNS in the past week is more of a reflection on Adelaide as a city rather than the airline, because if the pilot issues were really serious then CX wouldn't have added more PER flights and relaunched CNS.

Why did it take Emirates half a decade to resume flights to ADL?

Why was our national carrier unsuccessful in operating international flights out of ADL, and hence stopped?

Why is Batik exiting ADL?

It all boils down to Adelaide's role in the national and global economy, and arguably there have been some long-term shifts since the pandemic. What is the significance of Adelaide from a population, corporate and tourism perspective on the national stage, let alone the global stage? Sure you could argue the Wine Region, Kangaroo Island etc but they're easily dwarfed by places like FNQ on the global stage.

I'm not saying CX will never return, but there are reasons why it's a low priority city for many airlines.

Speaking of FNQ, CNS contrasts ADL as an example of a success story post-Covid in terms of international flight growth. CX return, SQ widebodies, VA to HND etc. QF were also planning CNS-TYO in a JV with JL but were stopped by the ACCC. Would be nice to see flights to GUM (UA 73M) and LAX (JQ 787) launched from CNS soon.