Cathay Group has committed to expanding connectivity among Belt and Road member destinations.
The Hong Kong flag carrier operates more than 500 return flights per week to Belt and Road countries during the summer peak and is increasing its flight frequency to Riyadh to daily from next month.
As of 2025, around 150 countries have signed cooperation agreements under China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), spanning multiple regions.
Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam reaffirmed Cathay’s commitment to further strengthening connectivity between Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and important Belt and Road destinations to facilitate the movement of people, cargo and trade during a panel at the recent 10th Belt and Road Summit in Hong Kong.
Currently, the Group flies to around 30 destinations in Belt and Road participating countries. Through Cathay’s Hong Kong hub, customers can connect to 23 destinations in the Chinese Mainland, including its newly launched service to Urumqi, a key hub in Northwestern China connecting Belt and Road destinations in Central Asia.
Lam also spoke of the growing demand for connectivity with the Middle East. "I have been surprised by how many Hong Kong businesses regularly travel between Hong Kong and the Middle East. I remember back in 2023, when Hong Kong had just emerged from the pandemic, I joined a delegation to the Middle East led by the Hong Kong SAR Government and was struck by the strong growth potential in the region."
In October last year, Cathay Pacific launched direct flights between Hong Kong and Riyadh.
"To our pleasant surprise, demand was much stronger than expected, particularly between the Chinese Mainland and Riyadh via the Hong Kong hub. As a result, we increased our frequency from three to four return flights per week, and I'm pleased to share that starting next month, we will be operating daily flights to Riyadh," Lam added.
Cathay Pacific's daily flights to Riyadh will also complement Cathay Cargo's weekly freighter service to the city, operated by its Boeing 747 aircraft.
In addition to the Middle East, the Cathay Group has also been bolstering its presence in the ASEAN region, where it currently serves around 20 Belt and Road destinations.
Focus on the ASEAN region
"ASEAN is probably the closest and most important Belt and Road region for Cathay's strategic roadmap," Lam said. "Through our dual-brand strategy, Cathay Pacific and HK Express have been able to expand our connectivity between Hong Kong and ASEAN in a very significant way."
Elsewhere in its network, Cathay Pacific's non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Dallas-Fort Worth will also increase to daily from October 26, up from four return flights per week. These additional flights will enable customers to connect to more flights to Belt and Road destinations in Central and South America through Cathay Pacific's codeshares and other flight options via the Dallas-Fort Worth hub.
"The Cathay Group remains committed to expanding its reach and footprint along the Belt and Road, further reinforcing Hong Kong's status as a leading international aviation hub," Cathay said in a press release. It added that the Group also endeavours to strengthen its support to serve Hong Kong's "eight centres" development strategy supported by the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
The Cathay Group currently operates passenger flights to over 100 destinations worldwide, providing customers with a smooth and seamless travel experience to and from Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and beyond.
