Cathay Pacific soars back to Adelaide
There’ll be three direct Hong Kong flights each week.
By David Flynn, November 12 2025
Cathay Pacific is winging its way back to Adelaide, with three direct flights per week through to 27 March 2026 – and the hope this can becomes a year-round route.
Flights from Adelaide to Hong Kong (CX174) will depart every Wednesday, Friday, Sunday at 12 noon, arriving into Hong Kong at 5:40pm.
Flights from Hong Kong (CX173) will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 11:30pm, reaching Adelaide at 10:30am the following day.
“We are delighted to return to Adelaide, a city we have a long history with having first launched flights in 1992,” says Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer.
“We look forward to welcoming customers onboard to experience our signature Cathay Pacific service, whether they are flying to this dynamic city, our home hub, or beyond.”
Cathay Pacific's A350 business class.
Travellers from Adelaide can look forward to flying on Cathay’s modern Airbus A350 jet, with fully lie-flat beds in business class plus spacious comfortable recliners in premium economy.
Cathay offers free Wi-Fi in business class and for all Cathay Diamond members, with the complimentary connection being extended to Cathay Golds as of 15 November, and premium economy passengers by year’s end.
Cathay Pacific's A350 premium economy.
Adelaide will be Cathay Pacific’s eighth destination in the Southwest Pacific, with the airline also operating year-round services between Hong Kong and Auckland, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney, and winter seasonal services to Cairns and Christchurch.
While the international wing of Adelaide Airport’s sole terminal includes a Plaza Premium lounge, many of Cathay’s HK-bound flyers will no doubt make a beeline for the nearby domestic Qantas Business Lounge and Qantas Club, and choose to leave just a little early to make their way through immigration and security to board CX174.
The Qantas Business Lounge will welcome Cathay’s business class passengers along with frequent flyers holding Cathay Diamond, Qantas Platinum or the equivalent Oneworld Emerald status.
The Qantas Club is the go-to for Cathay Golds, Qantas Golds and Oneworld Sapphires (but not Qantas Club members).
Also read: The 48-hour Hong Kong stopover guide and How to experience Hong Kong like a local.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
30 Jul 2017
Total posts 5
So if you are a Qantas club member, and book a Cathay flight crediting your Qantas account, you still don't get entry to QC?
20 Nov 2015
Total posts 601
According to the Qantas website, access to Qantas Club lounges is only available for Qantas Club members if they are on a QF or JQ flight, OneWorld flights like this CX one are specifically prohibited, see https://www.qantas.com/au/en/qantas-experience/at-the-airport/airport-lounges/qantas-lounge-access-eligibility.html#qantas-club.
However it would be nice if Qantas made an exception for CX passengers at ADL, seeing as there are no international Qantas lounges there, only domestic ones.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Nov 2016
Total posts 72
That is correct. Qantas Club is purely a QF/JQ product and not recognised (with one or two exceptions) by other airlines.
Etihad - Etihad Guest
28 Feb 2019
Total posts 14
CX will be paying QF for each passenger that accesses the lounge. CX does not allow Q Club members to use its lounges. I am not sure why anyone would expect an exception to be made.
09 Jun 2017
Total posts 32
The line up at Adelaide Airport is growing, which is encouraging. Qantas has even come back with a little offering. How does a typical line up look at the International gates? Qatar 777 or A350, Emirates 777 and soon to be A350, Malaysia A330 and sometimes an A350, Singapore Airlines 787-10, China Southern 777-9, Cathay A350 amongst a few others, and then there is a little 737-800 from Qantas to Auckland. How feeble Qantas!
20 Nov 2024
Total posts 1
Am not sure CX has yet been able to offer best timing ex. Adelaide. Many pax are looking for ideal connections. The flights on to Europe & UK generally leave some hours later than the flight from ADL arrives in HKG. Return connections however are more time efficient.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
10 Apr 2012
Total posts 320
This is great news, but something needs to be done about the Customs and Immigration line. Arriving internationally when there is more than 1 flight is a shambles. Arriving on Business class on Singapore Airlines last month and Malaysian airlines came in at the same time. Even Business class pax had to wait for all the malaysian airlines pax before being processed, which took almost 45 minutes.
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