Cathay Pacific has announced its December 2024 traffic figures, showcasing a milestone year for the Cathay Group. Together with HK Express, the group carried over 28 million passengers in 2024, marking a 30.7% increase compared to the previous year. On the cargo front, Cathay Cargo transported 1.5 million tonnes throughout the year, reflecting an 11% year-on-year growth.
In December 2024 alone, Cathay Pacific recorded 2,248,950 passengers, a 26.4% rise from December 2023. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) for the month increased by 27.9%, with a passenger load factor of 84.8%, up by 3.6 percentage points. Available seat kilometres (ASKs) also rose 22.5% year-on-year.
For cargo operations, the airline carried 143,564 tonnes in December, a year-on-year increase of 11.7%. Cargo revenue tonne kilometres (RFTKs) grew by 6.5%, with a load factor of 61.4%, up 0.6 percentage points, and available cargo tonne kilometres (AFTKs) rising 5.5%.
Strong demand drives growth
Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau highlighted December’s peak season, noting the airline carried over 100,000 passengers per day on eight occasions during the holiday period, a first since the airline’s post-pandemic recovery began. Premium cabin bookings also surged, driven by business travel before the holidays. Seasonal routes, such as flights to Cairns, Australia, were well-received, further contributing to the year-end momentum.
On the cargo side, the holiday season boosted demand for e-commerce shipments, perishables, and machinery transport, with December seeing the highest monthly cargo tonnage of the year.
Looking ahead
Cathay Pacific has fully restored its pre-pandemic flight capacity as of January 2025. The airline plans to expand its global reach, including new direct flights between Hong Kong and Rome starting June 2025. With six new destinations already announced for the year, the group aims to solidify Hong Kong’s role as a global aviation hub.
For 2025, Cathay Pacific anticipates strong demand for Lunar New Year travel, though it expects leisure travel from Hong Kong to quiet down post-holiday, with transit passengers continuing to leverage its extensive network. Cargo demand is forecasted to dip in early January but rebound ahead of the Lunar New Year.
