The Cathay Group released its traffic figures for January 2026, revealing a strong start for the year with ongoing growth in both passenger and cargo services.

According to Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer of Cathay: “As a Group, we have made a solid start to 2026 with momentum from the robust year-end travel peak sustaining into early January. Our passenger airlines Cathay Pacific and HK Express carried a combined total of more than 3.3 million passengers in January 2026, an 11% increase compared to January 2025. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo transported over 130,000 tonnes of cargo during the month, marking a 5% increase year on year.

On February 14, both Cathay Pacific and the Cathay Group set new single-day passenger records. Cathay Pacific surpassed the 100,000 mark for the first time, carrying 100,747 passengers; collectively with HK Express, they reached approximately 128,000 passengers.

Cathay Pacific in January

Cathay Pacific experienced an 11% increase in passenger numbers compared to January 2025, while Available Seat Kilometres (ASKs) rose by 14%. Lau remarked, “We saw robust demand in early January, propelled by outbound student traffic and travellers returning from the year-end holiday. This was followed by a strong rebound in business travel, with our premium cabins seeing better load factors than in January 2025.” The recent Lunar New Year holiday contributed to increased leisure travel as customers across Asia took advantage of the extended holiday. Looking ahead to Easter, Cathay Pacific expects a continued rise in bookings as more customers finalize their travel plans.

Cathay Cargo in January

Cathay Cargo also demonstrated growth, handling 5% more cargo this January than last year, although its year began slower while maintaining year-on-year growth. Lau noted that the Group’s cargo business benefited from strong demand for specialist solutions, notably cherries and seafood from Oceania. Furthermore, Cathay Cargo flew about 60 elite show-jumping horses from Europe to Hong Kong for the Longines Hong Kong International Horse Show, showcasing its competency in transporting live animals.

HK Express in January

HK Express recorded over 710,000 passengers in January 2026, an 8% increase year on year, with ASKs growing by 13%. In the upcoming months, bookings remain robust with strong growth noted for travel to the Chinese Mainland and Southeast Asia. Lau emphasized, “On February 20, 2026, HK Express achieved a new single-day record, carrying over 30,000 passengers onboard for the first time.”