Cathay Pacific Celebrates The Launch of Its New Nonstop Service Between Dallas-Fort Worth and Hong Kong

Texas officially welcomed premier Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific to its big and bright skies this week. Hong Kong’s finest from the sophisticated carrier descended upon the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex to kick off an exciting new passenger flight between Hong Kong International Airport and Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, marking the only nonstop service available from Texas to Hong Kong. 

With an increased uptick in tourism and corporate travel to the Far East, Cathay Pacific is further connecting Hong Kong as an important gateway to explore the booming metropolitan destination, mainland China, and the rest of Asia. The route is a welcome addition to the already existing American Airlines nonstop service to Shanghai and a new nonstop service to Taipei, Taiwan via EVA Air, coming in October.

Not only are Hong Kong’s cultural offerings an enticing draw for this new route, but its proximity to buzzy South Asian destinations like Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Bali, and many more is also a plus. 

DFW is the airline’s eighth passenger destination in North America, joining the ranks of cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Toronto. Plus, the Texas outpost is its southernmost destination in North America for Cathay Pacific.

“Having a DFW flight is not just connecting DFW and Hong Kong, we are excited to attract passengers coming from other parts of the U.S. and coming from Central and South America,” Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Lavinia Lau, remarked at the Airline’s launch event. 

Wanderlusting Texans will greatly benefit from the new premier flight offering. Cathay’s Airbus A350-900 (the most modern aircraft in Cathay’s fleet) offers a spacious seating plan with a luxurious Business Class cabin complete with flat beds and widescreen televisions, along with comfortable premium economy and economy classes. If the airline’s sophisticated surroundings won’t lure savvy travelers, its award-winning dining options with a menu curated by Michelin-starred partners certainly will. 

“We pride ourselves in providing ‘understated luxury,'” Lau says, with a strong reputation for “providing the most comfortable experience possible for our passengers.” 

Cathay Pacific Celebrates at Fort Worth’s Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection

The celebration headquarters was the swanky Bowie House in Fort Worth, a stylish feather in the Auberge Resorts Collection’s cowboy hat. Well-suited airline executives, North Texas travelers, and key members of Cathay Pacific’s team gathered to toast the Texas-meets-West partnership. 

Guests sipped on the airline’s signature cocktails, including a Cathay Delight, a refreshing mix of kiwi juice, creamy coconut milk, and fresh mint leaves. Signature dishes from Hong Kong, like udon noodles, warm pork bao buns, and egg rolls, were met with Texas barbeque flair. 

Cathay’s own Lavinia Lau and her team were the first to boast that their exciting foray into couldn’t be possible without their strong partnerships with American Airlines, oneworld Alliance, and Dallas Fort Worth International Airport, all of whose top executives were present to toast the féte.

“We are thrilled to welcome, what is unquestionably one of the premier airlines of the world,” toasted DFW Chief Executive Officer Sean Donohue.

Perhaps the most honored guests present were the family of the late Roy C. Farrell (a native Texan and retired Air Force pilot), Cathay Pacific’s co-founder, with incredible foresight more than 80 years ago to foster global connections with cargo routes and later passenger routes. 

By the end of the evening, almost every guest was clad in a custom monogrammed Cathay Pacific bandana to commemorate the exciting partnership.

Cathay’s First Dallas-Fort Worth Inaugural Flight

On Thursday, April 24, the inaugural flight from DFW International Airport to Hong Kong’s International Airport departed with a full flight of excited travelers. The departure kicks off a four-times-weekly nonstop service for the airline. 

After a festive ribbon-cutting ceremony at the airport’s departure gate, complete with traditional Chinese Lion Dancers, travelers were on their way to the brand-new Airbus A350-900 with all the bells, whistles, and comforts global travelers expect from the beloved airline.  

Cathay is well on its way to reaching its goal of 100 destinations globally, with hopes to increase the DFW service. With new plans to unveil even more luxurious in-flight amenities and lounge offerings to appeal to discerning travelers, the airline is maintaining major momentum from an impressive comeback after a tough pandemic slowdown.

With uncertainty surrounding tariffs throwing a possible wrench in travel between the U.S. and Asia for corporate and leisure travelers, Lavinia Lau said Cathay Pacific has established a special task force that is keeping a close eye on the situation to respond quickly and make any adjustments needed. Already, demand and robust bookings for the brand new passenger service are showing no signs of slowing.