Cathay Cargo said its volumes rose again in December on the back of traditional peak‑season demand and strong uptake of its specialist products, with tonnage holding firm despite a 3% month‑on‑month dip as the festive period approached.
The carrier highlighted robust flows for its Cathay Fresh offering — including seasonal produce moving from the Americas into the Greater Bay Area and perishables from Oceania into Hong Kong — while its Cathay Expert solution also saw solid demand across Northeast Asia, supported by machinery movements in the region.
The freight arm of Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific, carried 152, 175 tonnes of cargo in December, representing a 6% increase compared to December 2025.
Month-on-month, December's volume was less than the 157,472 tonnes of cargo transported in November. It was higher, however, than the over 150,000 tonnes recorded in October 2025.
This is also up from the 139,821 tonnes carried in August and the 140,156 tonnes in July as well as the 132,462 tonnes transported in June 2025 and the 135,807 tonnes of cargo handled in May.
Cathay Cargo said Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by 8%.
In the full year of 2025, the total tonnage increased by over 9% compared with the same period for 2024.
"Tonnage remained strong in December, despite a 3% decrease from the previous month as the festive season approached," said Lavinia Lau, chief customer and commercial officer at Cathay.
"Demand for our Cathay Fresh solution was strong, with the Air-Land Fresh Lane facilitating movements of seasonal produce from the Americas into the wider Greater Bay Area. Meanwhile, perishables from Oceania to Hong Kong also bolstered the overall growth of Cathay Fresh," she added, noting that the carrier's Cathay Expert solution also performed well across Northeast Asia, driven by machinery movements within the region.
Cathay Cargo added that near‑term market conditions are already shifting as the new year begins.
"Turning to January, we anticipate softer demand in the first half of the month but expect it to gradually pick up ahead of the Lunar New Year holidays," Lau said.
