The cities are the eighth and ninth new destinations the group has announced during an unprecedented year of expansion and will boost Hong Kong’s connections with two of ASEAN’s founding member states.

Davao City, the main trade, business and tourism centre of the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, will be served four times a week; while Medan, the thriving capital of North Sumatra in Indonesia, will be served three times a week.

The new routes, the only non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Davao City and Hong Kong and Medan, will both be operated by Airbus A320 aircraft.

Cathay Pacific Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Paul Loo said the new services reflect the group’s commitment to growing its reach to destinations not otherwise served directly from Hong Kong, providing customers with more choice and strengthening Hong Kong’s status as Asia’s largest international aviation hub.

“Davao City and Medan are key trade and tourism centres in their respective regions and each looks set play an important role in the Belt and Road Initiative. As such, both present exciting opportunities for business and leisure travellers alike,” he said.

“Our convenient new services will capture the demand from Hong Kong and beyond, while at the same time providing customers in the Philippines and Indonesia with more options when connecting to the Cathay Pacific Group’s extensive Mainland China and international networks.”

Already this year, the Cathay Pacific Group has launched services to Nanning, Jinan and Brussels. Other new routes to take-off in 2018 include Dublin (June) and Washington (September), as well as seasonal services to Copenhagen (May) and Cape Town (November).

Destination Davao

Home to the largest Chinatown in the Philippine archipelago, Davao City is Mindanao’s economic capital and the gateway to its flourishing agricultural heartland. With a cosmopolitan population of over 1.5 million, Davao City is also increasingly becoming known as a focal point for ecotourism, thanks to its natural environment, unspoiled beaches and islands and proximity to world-class diving sites around the Davao Gulf.

The new route will complement the Cathay Pacific Group’s existing three services to Manila, Cebu and Clark in the Philippines.

The flight schedule for the Hong Kong – Davao City (DVO) service from 28 October 2018 is as follows:

Multicultural Medan

The largest city in Indonesia outside of Java, Medan is known for its diversity which is reflected in its rich cultural heritage, historic architecture and, most famously, its wide variety of cuisine. Indeed, Medan is considered Indonesia’s culinary capital, boasting a vast array of restaurants serving Batak, Chinese, Indian, Malay and Tamil-inspired dishes. The city, Sumatra’s key transport hub, is located within easy reach of some of the region’s best-known natural wonders, including Lake Toba, Samosir Island and Mount Sinabung.

Medan will be the fourth Indonesian destination served by the Cathay Pacific Group, following Jakarta, Denpasar (Bali) and Surabaya.

The flight schedule for the Hong Kong – Medan (KNO) service from 29 October 2018 is as follows: