Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Ivan Chu said: “Cathay Pacific has been the home carrier of Hong Kong for 70 years and we are proud to have made a significant contribution to the city’s development as a premier international aviation hub through our extensive international network and continued fleet investment.

“We are pleased that the Government will continue to seek to discuss Air Services Agreements with countries along One Belt, One Road routes. We also support the Government’s efforts to open more Economic and Trade Offices in the region as well as liaison units in Mainland China to promote stronger ties and closer cooperation.

“Cathay Pacific always welcomes initiatives that help to facilitate the flow of people and cargo around the world, and we believe the measures announced by the Government will help to strengthen the position of Hong Kong as a both a global and regional aviation hub.”

Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific has reiterated the importance of expediting the development of the three-runway system at Hong Kong International Airport, and welcomes the announcement of an advisory committee to oversee progress on the project.

“It is clear that our home airport is becoming very congested and building the third runway is the only viable option if Hong Kong is to thrive as a premier aviation hub,” said Mr Chu.

“In addition to infrastructure, manpower is another hugely important resource in terms of supporting our industry’s future growth. We support the Government’s move to establish a civil aviation academy to nurture aviation professionals, and we look forward to sharing our expertise and experience in relation to professional training and talent development.”