Cathay Pacific has just announced it won’t be returning to Cairns this year, dropping its seasonal flights to Hong Kong that typically operated during the busy December to February period.
The airline has cited “commercial” reasons for dropping the route.
“Cathay Pacific regularly reviews its schedule and network to best align with market demand,” said Tom Kennedy, Cathay’s Regional Head of Sales for Southeast Asia & Oceania.
"We remain committed to the Australian market and will continue to offer direct services to Hong Kong from Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide.”
When announcing the route’s return for December 2025 to February 2026, the airline said it was expected to inject an estimated $18 million into the local economy in visitor expenditure alone and would also bolster valuable direct export channels from Queensland.
“Our Cairns seasonal service saw close to 16,000 customers travel between the two cities and beyond, including the UK, the Chinese mainland and elsewhere in Asia,” noted the airline.
“Equally as important is our freight support for local businesses where we proudly transport live seafood, fresh produce and more.”
Cairns Airport chief Richard Barker said that “while disappointing, we respect and understand this tough commercial decision by Cathay Pacific.”
“Airlines around the world are being impacted by volatility and uncertainty in global markets, particularly in relation to fuel.”
Likewise, Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen said, “we’re seeing the rising cost of aviation fuel globally, we understand the pressure and Cathay have been an incredible partner over a very long time, particularly over the last two years.”
“They are our valued partner, and we will continue to collaborate with them to explore future opportunities for our region.”
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