Cathay Group reveals traffic figures for February 2026
The Cathay Group today released its traffic figures for February 2026, reflecting a strong start in the first two months of the year thanks to the momentum seen in January carrying over into the following month.
This development is attributed to the peak travel season of the Lunar New Year.
Likewise, the Cathay Group set a new single-day passenger record on 14th February which saw a total of 128,000 passengers.
In total, Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried over 3.2 million passengers last month, surpassing the February 2025 total by 24 percent.
A volatile period
However, Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau pointed out that performance this month is in for a challenging time, owing to the volatile state of global events.
Lau said: “Turning to March, the global geopolitical environment is volatile and this is causing unexpected shifts in passenger and cargo traffic flows as well as a significant increase in the price of jet fuel. In view of the current situation in the Middle East, we have temporarily suspended Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights as well as Cathay Cargo’s freighter services to Dubai and Riyadh up to and including 30th April.”
Lau added that, as customers prioritise alternative travel routes due to airspace closures in the Middle East, the Group has added extra flights to London and provided additional capacity to Zurich in March to cater for a surge in demand for Europe.
The Cathay Group continues to monitor the situation as of press time.
Cathay Pacific in February 2026
Cathay Pacific carried 24 percent more passengers in February 2026 compared with February 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) increased by 16 percent.
In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 17 percent compared with the same period for 2025.
According to Lau: “During the Lunar New Year holidays, we saw particularly strong outbound travel demand from Hong Kong and the rest of the Greater Bay Area, with short-haul destinations being the most popular. Meanwhile, inbound traffic to Hong Kong also recorded healthy growth, supported by demand from long-haul markets and the Chinese Mainland. Business travel rebounded quickly towards the end of the month, resulting in robust load factors in our premium cabins.”
As of today, 18th March, bookings for Cathay Pacific remain robust for the rest of March, driven by leisure travel across Asia.
Lau added: “We also look forward to launching our new five-times-weekly Seattle service on 30th March, further strengthening the connectivity of the Hong Kong international aviation hub.”
Cathay Cargo carried more throughout the month
Cathay Cargo carried seven percent more cargo in February 2026 than in February 2025, while Available Freight Tonne Kilometres (AFTKs) increased by four percent.
In the first two months of 2026, the total tonnage increased by six percent compared with the same period for 2025.
Furthermore, cargo tonnage in February declined against the previous month due to the Lunar New Year holidays.
As Lau explained it: “We saw a pre-holiday rush across our home market and the wider Greater Bay Area, followed by softer demand later in the month. Meanwhile, demand for our Cathay Secure solution remained resilient, particularly from Europe and the Americas to Asia, while our Cathay Live Animal solution saw notable growth, supported by increased live lobster shipments from Oceania to Hong Kong. Turning to March, overall air cargo demand is expected to improve as we ramp up our scheduled freighter frequencies in preparation for the quarter end.”
HK Express’ numbers were up 25 percent
Meanwhile, HK Express carried over 730,000 passengers in February 2026, an increase of 25 percent year on year, while Available Seat Kilometers’ (ASKs) grew by 14 percent.
In the first two months of 2026, the number of passengers carried increased by 16% compared with the same period for 2025.
Passenger numbers were buoyed by the Lunar New Year traffic, as HK Express achieved a load factor of 86 percent in February, with South Korea routes being the most popular.
Lau said: “We also saw a significant increase in demand to Malaysia and the Chinese Mainland, which outpaced capacity growth. Looking ahead, bookings remain healthy in March, with demand outpacing capacity increase compared with last year.”