Wayfarer TV: Cathay Pacific celebrates 75 years of legendary inflight excellence
Cathay Pacific’s Chief Executive Officer, Augustus Tang, said over the past 75 years, the carrier has grown from a small regional airline to one that now spans the globe from Hong Kong, “our energetic, ever-changing home”.
“Cathay Pacific has seen exhilarating successes over the past incredible 75 years,” he said. “We’ve connected people to many new destinations, welcomed the arrival of state-of-the-art aircraft and introduced exciting customer experience enhancements, to name a few.
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Wayfarer’s James Wilkinson reviews Cathay Pacific’s brilliant Business Class cabin on the Airbus A350
“We have also experienced unprecedented challenges, such as the global pandemic, which we are all still overcoming. What these over seven decades have shown is that we are a resilient brand.
“What has never changed is our unyielding commitment to our loyal customers, our dedicated people and our wonderful home city, Hong Kong.
“We wouldn’t be the company we are today without the enduring support they have shown us, and we are incredibly grateful to each and every one of them.
Cathay Pacific’s cabin crew offer some of the best service in the sky
“We hope they will join us in marking our 75th anniversary, and we look forward to many more journeys together,” Tang said.
He said customers can join the celebrations with limited-edition memorabilia and first-class dining experiences that commemorate the past, present and future.
These include the opportunity to buy one of 1,000 special collector’s box sets each featuring seven aircraft models, from the airline’s very first Douglas DC-3 aircraft, “Betsy”, to the newest member of its fleet, the Airbus A321neo.
Cathay Pacific’s aircraft models are a wonderful way to commemorate 75 years
There are also 435 limited-edition pen and cardholder sets have been crafted out of aluminium reclaimed from B-HUJ, the airline’s final Boeing 747-400 passenger aircraft, and engraved with a unique serial number.
Customers can also give their luggage a touch of history with limited-edition aviation-themed luggage tags.
Each has been formed from the body of Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777-200 B-HND aircraft – affectionately called the “Haneda Jet” – which joined the fleet on 13 June 1996 and carried more than six million passengers over her lifetime.
Hello bear: Cathay Pacific has a brilliant upcycled uniform collaboration with G.O.D.
Cathay Pacific has also partnered with Hong Kong lifestyle brand G.O.D. to upcycle uniforms from its crew into a selection of accessories and homewares, from stylish patchwork cushion covers to cross-body bags, pouches and teddy bears.
Cathay Pacific is also launching its first-ever cocktail collection, created in collaboration with award-winning craft-bottled cocktail brand LAIBA and available exclusively in Hong Kong. The four creations – Hong Kong Lemon Tease, Shanghai Spicy Martini, London Ginger Snap and Osaka Kanpai Sour, are inspired by some of the airline’s signature routes.
Customers wishing to discover the quintessential Cathay Pacific First Class experience can do so at Salisterra at The Upper House in Hong Kong, which is offering an exclusive celebration menu between 20 September and 17 October 2021.
Fine dining: Enjoy Cathay’s inflight delights at Salisterra
The menu features Cathay Pacific’s signature Imperial caviar paired with Krug Grande Cuvée, Champagne, France, NV and Château Lynch Bages, Bordeaux, France, 2008 from its legendary wine cellar – all served with Cathay Pacific’s signature tableware.
The 75th anniversary comes at an exciting time of change for the Cathay brand that travellers know so well.
Earlier this year, Hong Kong’s home airline launched ‘Cathay’, a premium travel lifestyle brand that is designed to offer more for the company’s customers, whether that’s in dining, shopping, events, wellness, flights or hotel getaways.
Our favourite Cathay Pacific jet of all-time, the Boeing 747-400, on final approach at Hong Kong’s old Kai Tak airport
The first of these offers, a new Standard Chartered Cathay Mastercard Credit Card, has already been launched, followed by an upgraded Cathay app combining one-stop dining and digital payment.
Cathay Pacific is also innovating in the air with the launch of its new Airbus A321neo aircraft, which offers customers an exceptional short-haul experience. The A321neo offers new levels of comfort, privacy and storage space, not to mention world-first inflight entertainment upgrades, according to the airline.
These fuel-efficient aircraft also help Cathay Pacific’s continued pursuit of greener aviation as it aims to reach its target of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The company says this commitment makes Cathay Pacific one of the first airlines in Asia to establish a timeline for making carbon neutrality a reality.