Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Ends US Tour with San Francisco Mayor
Cathay Pacific Airways' Chief Executive Philip Chen has concluded a four-day tour of US cities to promote Hong Kong as a global aviation hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland.
Mr Chen met with Mr Gavin Newsom, Mayor of the City and County of San Francisco, at his San Francisco City Hall office to discuss ways to further increase air traffic between San Francisco and Hong Kong. Doris Cheung, Director, Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, San Francisco, also joined the meeting.
Mr Chen announced that Cathay Pacific will be the designated airline to fly Mr Newsom's first official trade mission to China since he became Mayor. He will lead a 40-member delegation of local business leaders to Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong from 25 November to 4 December. It will also be his first official visit to Hong Kong.
"We are very proud that Hong Kong has been selected as one of the three major Chinese cities to play host to the mission led by the San Francisco Mayor. It underlines Hong Kong’s integral role as the predominant southern gateway linking the Chinese Mainland and the rest of the world," Mr Chen said.
"Great cities of the world today are aviation centres. The Mayor's mission further recognizes the importance of strengthening air links between San Francisco and Hong Kong - two of the greatest cities on either side of the Pacific Ocean. As Hong Kong's home carrier, Cathay Pacific is delighted to use its hub connections to help facilitate closer links between the United States and the Chinese Mainland," he added.
Cathay Pacific operates 95 wide-body aircraft and has a network reaching 92 destinations in 35 countries and territories. It operates more services each week between Hong Kong and the United States than any other airline, including 42 passenger flights to 24 cities through either direct or codeshare services and 21 scheduled freighter services. Cathay Pacific operates one of the youngest fleets in the world and has embarked upon the fastest expansion plan in its history, rapidly growing its fleet and network.
It provides the more services to major international cities out of its home-base in Hong Kong than any other airline. They include a thrice-daily service to Los Angeles, Sydney and London and a twice-daily service to New York. It will launch a fourth daily service to London in December. Cathay Pacific was voted "Airline of the Year 2005" in the London-based Skytrax Research poll of travellers around the globe – the world's largest passenger poll.
Earlier in the week Mr Chen visited Dallas, to which Cathay Pacific will later this month start a direct three-times-weekly freighter service.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Carolyn Leung, Corp Comm Mgr, Public Affairs, (852) 2747-5393 or 7901-5393 or 6053-6066
