Cathay Pacific will return to Cairns with direct seasonal flights from Hong Kong coinciding with the peak Christmas holiday period and Chinese New Year festivities from the 17th of December 2024 to the 29th of March 2025. The flights will provide more than 13,000 inbound seats for international visitors who will spend an estimated $20 million.
Hong Kong serves as a hub for passengers travelling from mainland China, across Asia, the UK and Europe.
The flights were secured through the State Government’s $200 million Attracting Aviation Investment Fund and will enable direct exports into Hong Kong and mainland China for our Tropical North Queensland producers.
A delegation from Tropical North Queensland visited Hong Kong in late 2023 to meet with Cathay Pacific and key travel trade partners to present the case for direct flights. I was honored to lead that delegation which included representatives of Cairns Airport, Tourism Tropical North Queensland, the Department of Tourism and Innovation, Advance Cairns and Trade and Investment Queensland.
