Cathay Pacific cuts flights to Australia, mainland China

The impact of the coronavirus epidemic sees Cathay Pacific pare back its network in China, Australia and around the world.

By David Flynn, February 10 2020
Cathay Pacific cuts flights to Australia, mainland China

Cathay Pacific will reduce flights between Australia and Hong Kong, slash its services to mainland China by 90% and suspend several international routes including London Gatwick, Rome, Washington DC, New York Newark and Cape Town, as the deadly coronavirus continues to disrupt air travel on a global scale.

Cathay Pacific's worldwide capacity will be wound back by around 30 percent through until at least the end of March 2020, said airline CEO Augustus Tang, "due to the drop in customer demand into and around the region and more widely across the markets to where we fly."

The Oneworld member is particularly exposed to the impact of the epidemic, which has now infected more than 40,000 people and killed over 900: the airline's international routes are funnelled through its Hong Kong hub, while Cathay Pacific and its regional arm Cathay Dragon maintain an extensive network of 368 flights per week to 23 destinations across mainland China.

"Due to the Novel Coronavirus outbreak and the subsequent reduction in flight demand, Cathay Pacific Group is reducing capacity across its network inclusive of flights to and from Australia and New Zealand," a Cathay Pacific spokeswoman told Executive Traveller. "The schedule reduction equates to approximately 37 per cent of flights from 1 to 28 March 2020."

The spokeswoman added that "alternate flight arrangements will be offered to Cathay Pacific passengers whose journeys have been affected. Please visit cathaypacific.com for more information."

Cathay Pacific is now warning customers of sweeping changes to its worldwide network due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Cathay Pacific is now warning customers of sweeping changes to its worldwide network due to the coronavirus outbreak.

While Cathay Pacific has yet to widely share more specific details on its coronavirus-induced cuts, an update sent to members of the airline's Business Plus corporate loyalty scheme and sighted by Executive Traveller (see extract above) outlines the full set of 'planned frequency changes' and the dates they will take effect.

The airline also notes that its schedule changes "are subject to ongoing review and may be adjusted as the current situation continues to develop."

Cathay Pacific's reduced flights to Australia, New Zealand

After examining Cathay Pacific's schedule with an eye on the Business Plus member update, Executive Traveller can highlight some specific impacts to the airline's Australian flights – although it's important to remember that, as Cathay itself has noted, this is all "subject to ongoing review."

Cathay's long-standing four daily flights between Sydney and Hong Kong are being sporadically whittled back to around three daily flights over the coming weeks, with more disruption on the week commencing March 9, when the timetable is reduced to almost two daily flights; the subsequent weeks slowly bring things back towards three daily flights, but still with a few days on and off.

CX138/139 appears to be the only flight pair that continues operating as normal to the end of March, so it's the best bet for travellers to book onto, with CX161/162 the most affected during March but also CX100/101 and CX110/111 often pulled from the schedule.

Melbourne's three daily flights to Hong Kong are also highly changeable to the end of March, down to two and sometimes just one flight per day. The flight most often removed from the schedule is CX134/CX135.

Cathay Pacific's Brisbane timetable is cut to one flight per day from March 1, with both CX156/157 and CX150/155 swapping in and out, although from March 28 the timetable shows only the daily CX156/157 flight.

Adelaide will drop to two return flights per week from March 4 to March 28, specifically CX174/CX177 on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Perth appears to be reduced to four flights per week of CX170/CX171 across most of March, with five flights per week from March 21 and looking further ahead, a daily CX170/171 service from April (which is also being downgraded from the current Airbus A350-1000 to the smaller A350-900).

Across the pond, Cathay will reduce Auckland-Hong Kong to five flights per week from March 1.

Cathay Pacific's reduced flights to mainland China

In an unprecedented scything, Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon have axed flights to almost all of mainland China with the exceptions of Beijing, Shanghai (both Pudong and Hongqiao airports), Xiamen and Chengdu.

Even so, these will all see a vast reduction in frequencies. While Cathay Pacific will retain its current roster of 21 flights per week to Beijing and Shanghai, Cathay Dragon's regular schedule of seven daily flights to Beijing goes back to just two flights a day, while Xiamen shifts from three return flights to just one.

All other destinations within mainland China will see no flights until the end of March, under Cathay's current plans.

Cathay Pacific's reduced flights within Asia

Almost all Cathay flights between Hong Kong and Taipei are being suspended, following the Taiwan government's decision to impose quarantines or travel bans on foreigners who have visited the mainland, Hong Kong or Macau over the past 14 days (Taiwan’s China Airlines and Eva Air have also slashed their flights to Hong Kong, from an average of almost 30 daily flights between them to around five).

Through until at least the end of March, Cathay Dragon will host just four flights per week on the once-popular corridor while Cathay Dragon will suspend all flights. Cathay Pacific's daily Hong Kong-Taipei flights which continue to Tokyo and Osaka will remain, although those that continue to Nagoya and Seoul have been put on ice.

Cathay's Hong Kong-Singapore services have also been slashed from seven daily flights to four, with Singapore Airlines also dialling back its own flights on this route

Fights to Thailand have been halved, with Manila down from seven daily services to two, and no flights to Clark or Davao City in the Philippines. There are also reduced flights to Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta.

Cathay Pacific's reduced flights to the rest of the world

Most of Cathay Pacific's European network remains unaffected across February, except for the suspension of all flights to London Gatwick, Rome and Milan, although the first week of March will see fewer flights to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Paris, Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester and Zurich, as well as Tel Aviv in the Middle East.

From early March, all cities with a single daily service – Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Manchester, Tel Aviv and Zurich – will find that flight appearing only on selected days each week: for example, Amsterdam, and Zurich scale back to six days, with Paris and Frankfurt at five days.

In the US, Cathay Pacific flights to Washington DC and the New York-adjacent Newark are being suspended from mid-February; LAX and San Francisco will drop from three daily flights to two; while Chicago and Boston will also see fewer flights each week.

Malé, gateway to the Maldives, is suspended until the end of March, as is Cape Town, with Johannesburg seeing fewer flights from March 2. The daily Hong Kong-Dubai flight is also being suspended, although the Hong Kong-Dubai-Bahrain flight will continue.

India will see slightly fewer flights to Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Columbo, Hydrabad and Kolkata from February, and Delhi from March.

Read more: How to change or cancel travel to China and Hong Kong due to the coronavirus

Additional reporting by Chris Chamberlin

David

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

10 May 2014

Total posts 112

They had already sadly discontinued the code-share with QR DOH-HKG in January this year. Was a great ticket and usually less than half the price of the QR ticket.

09 Nov 2015

Total posts 4

Dubai is down to 1 daily not suspended.

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2558

Cathay's own data shows Dubai as being reduced to zero flights per week as of Feb 17.

14 Oct 2016

Total posts 12

Dubai terminating service is being suspended, but HKG-DXB-BAH is continuing for now.

Great airline & great city being ruined by forces beyond its control.

22 Jan 2018

Total posts 100

I came in here to say the same thing. As If the rise of the Chinese and MEB3 carriers weren't enough, then the HK protests and now the virus had to happen. I hope CX bounces back soon. I fly YVR/SFO - HK - BLR routes very often and love both the airline and the HK lounges.

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

06 Aug 2017

Total posts 83

Is there any chance you could publish, or link to, the full list of schedule changes?

24 Oct 2010

Total posts 2558

No, sorry, we'll have to wait until Cathay Pacific shares the finalised reduced schedule.

Cathay Pacific - The Marco Polo Club

02 Jul 2018

Total posts 40

It is a sensible move to reduce schedules. Hope CX can get over it. You know, if Hong Kong border isn't closed (with China), there is still high risk to transport virus to other countries through Hong Kong International Airport.

Air New Zealand - Airpoints

23 May 2013

Total posts 44

Makes sense for the CX134/135 Melbourne flights to be the most cut as they mirror the QF flight schedule

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Dec 2016

Total posts 22

Been trying to contact Cathay since Monday after my flight was rescheduled and I will arrive 21hours later cannot get through on the phone total 2 hours on hold emails not answered Any suggestions?

23 Jul 2018

Total posts 9

Yikes ! Heading to Tokyo in business in May. I wonder how long before other countries ban transit passengers ?

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

21 Jul 2018

Total posts 27

I was about to book a RTW trip thru April/May to take in some Asian touring on my way to a Mediterranean cruise and my annual Canada summer sojourn but holding off completely now awaiting developments.

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Dec 2016

Total posts 22

Trying again to contact Cathay been on hold for one hour this time

Virgin Australia - Velocity Rewards

06 Aug 2017

Total posts 83

Not sure where you're writing from but if you're on the east coast of Australia you could try taking advantage of the 2-hour time difference with Hong Kong. Call first thing in the morning, when it's pre-dawn in HK and in much of Asia. You might just find it easier to get through then.

11 Dec 2018

Total posts 9

Does anyone have a direct email address for contacting Cathay Pacific customer service (so matter can be escalated)? They don't have anything listed for Australia/Global on their website - only online 'feedback form' which they say may or may not be responded to (and appears to just go to external feedback/review company). We want to appeal some potential cancellation fees for HK return (biz class) flights - which we had to cancel specifically as a result of their child carrier HK Express cancelling the ongoing flights to Vietnam. I tried to discuss with phone support and didn't have much luck - as the support operators can only act on 'official notifices' and can't deal with anything more complex.

11 Dec 2018

Total posts 9

Good news for us -

Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer

14 Dec 2016

Total posts 22

Another email this morning return flight now changed which means I have the dubious pleasure of a 15 hour stopover in HK If I get stuck with it am I entitled to a hotel room?

17 Feb 2020

Total posts 1

I'm one of the travellers that appears to be affected by a CX171 flight cancellation.

Currently in the UK and due to depart Zurich on 10 Mar 2020 flying via Hong Kong to Perth (and then a Qantas flight from Perth to Adelaide).

I have received zero notification of any flight changes but on checking my Qantas Frequent Flier profile (booking was made via Qantas who code shared to Cathay Pacific), it seems that the CX171 flight from Hong Kong to Perth on 11 March 2020 has been cancelled and we have instead been put on the same flight the following day (12 March).

Not only have we not been contacted about this change, there has not been any corresponding changes to the flights on either side of this CX171 flight. So... at this stage we will have to wait a day and a half in Hong Kong airport after our CX382 Zurich flight lands, and then when we get to Perth our Perth to Adelaide flight will have already departed a day earlier... and our airport hotel booking will also have been for the day earlier.

Pretty poor form by both Qantas and Cathay Pacific. And of course it appears at the moment that it is impossible to contact either airline.

Yay.


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