Cathay Pacific’s surprising Australian roots

For travellers, the sight of a Cathay Pacific jet carrying the iconic Brushwing logo evokes a rich set of memories and impressions.

It could be enjoying a bowl of fresh noodle soup in the relaxed atmosphere of one of Cathay’s signature lounges, or exploring the airline’s bustling home of Hong Kong.

Some travellers can still recall the exhilarating ‘checkerboard approach’ into the original Kai Tak airport, banking sharply and swooping low over Kowloon rooftops before touching down on a runway that seemed to float in the harbour.

2026 sees Cathay Pacific mark its 80th anniversary. And while the airline is undeniably the spirit of Hong Kong, its DNA is inextricably linked to Australia.

‘Betsy’ and the birth of an airline

The Cathay Pacific story begins in 1946, in the chaotic aftermath of World War II.

Cathay Pacific was founded by Australian Sydney de Kantzow (left) and American Roy Farrell (right).

Two former Air Force pilots – American Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow – met up in a bar and puzzled how to fly essential goods into post-war China. Farrell secured a surplus wartime Douglas DC-3 which he and de Kantzow dubbed Betsy, and started to move goods.

Cathay Pacific began flying in early 1946 with a single Douglas DC-3.

The first freight service carrying Australian wool and manufactured goods from Sydney to Shanghai, with stops in Darwin, Indonesia, Manila and Hong Kong took place in early 1946 – taking around 33 hours. This then turned into the brand we know today.

Their single-plane airline operation needed a name. They chose ‘Cathay’ after the ancient name for China, and added ‘Pacific’ for the visionary ambition that one day their small operation would fly across the vast Pacific Ocean. On 24 September 1946, Cathay Pacific was born.

The fledgling airline quickly built up a small fleet of DC-3s.

Not long after, the founders realised Hong Kong’s potential as both a hub for the airline and a gateway into the Chinese Mainland.

From Hong Kong to the world

In 1970, Cathay Pacific launched passenger flights to Australia on a sleek Convair 880, connecting Perth to Hong Kong with stops at Jakarta (Djakarta) and Kuala Lumpur.

Cathay's first passenger flights to Australia relied on the sleek Convair 880 jet.

The Boeing 707 unlocked direct Sydney-Hong Kong flights in October 1974, revolutionising travel between the two cities, while from 1979 the Queen of the Skies – the majestic Boeing 747 enabled long-haul routes to Europe and North America.

An iconic sight: a Cathay Boeing 747 soars low over Kowloon and into Hong Kong's old Kai Tak Airport.

And in October 2019, Cathay was the first to bring its modern Airbus A350-1000 flagship to Australia, with passengers on flights from Melbourne and Perth enjoying quieter cabins and reduced fatigue.

But the Australian connection goes deeper than just flight paths. There’s a very high chance your Cathay Pacific pilot learned their craft and honed their skills at Flight Training Adelaide, based at Adelaide’s Parafield Airport.

Today, Cathay Pacific connects most Australian capital cities, along with Cairns, to Hong Kong and the rest of the world.

A history of innovation

Cathay has rarely been an airline to rest on its laurels. It has a history of ‘firsts’ that shaped the way we travel today.

In 1983, it became the first Asian carrier to introduce a dedicated Business cabin between First and Economy, and was an early pioneer of Premium Economy in 2012.

Cathay Pacific's 'Marco Polo' business class cabin, 1990.

It was also the first airline to install inflight radio in 1991 – a quaint precursor to today’s massive libraries with over 4,500 hours of on-demand entertainment with seat-back screens and high-speed Wi-Fi on every Cathay flight.

First class on Cathay Pacific's Boeing 747, 1979.

And as a founding member of the Oneworld alliance in February 1999, alongside the likes of British Airways and Qantas, Cathay Pacific continued to improve travellers’ journeys with smoother connections, convenient frequent flyer benefits and a network of world-class lounges.

Celebrating the Cathay heritage

For aviation enthusiasts and long-time frequent flyers, nothing says Cathay Pacific quite like the airline’s unique green-and-white livery of the 1960s through to the 1990s.

First appearing on Cathay’s Lockheed Electra jets, the colour scheme was refined into what was affectionately nicknamed the Lettuce Leaf Sandwich.

It remains instantly recognisable – a throwback to a golden era in travel – and to help celebrate the 80th anniversary milestone, Cathay has applied this snazzy retro design to one of its Airbus A350s, combining 1970s style with 2020s carbon-fibre technology.

Cathay's 'Lettuce Leaf Sandwich' livery now adorns this Airbus A350.

This particular A350 is now making eye-catching camera-snapping appearances at airports around the world: it’s already been seen at Sydney, Brisbane and Perth earlier this month.

Cathay's special '80 Years Together' A350 has already visited Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.

Across this year, some 2,000 Cathay Pacific cabin crew will also don uniforms stretching back to the airline’s founding in 1946 to wear on everything from short-hop regional routes to the longest globe-spanning flights.

From a single DC-3 named Betsy to a fleet of state-of-the-art Airbus and Boeing jets – from a freight run out of Sydney to a global network spanning more than 100 destinations – the first 80 years of Cathay Pacific have been a remarkable ride.

Here’s to the next 80.

Visit Cathay’s 80 Years Together site to learn more about the milestones of Cathay Pacific’s 80-year history

This article was produced in collaboration with Cathay Pacific.