The new service will link New England and Hong Kong directly for the first time, and marks Cathay Pacific’s sixth gateway in the United States, and eighth in North America.
Cathay Pacific Airways today announced at a joint press conference at the Massachusetts State House with Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, Richard Davey, President and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, Paul Guzzi, and Thomas P. Glynn, CEO, Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), that it will commence a new four-times-weekly nonstop service from Boston Logan International Airport to Hong Kong on May 3, 2015, subject to government approval.
The new service will link New England and Hong Kong directly for the first time, and marks Cathay Pacific’s sixth gateway in the United States, and eighth in North America. The airline, which was recently named “World’s Best Airline” in the 2014 annual Skytrax World Airline Awards™, currently serves Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Newark, San Francisco, Toronto and Vancouver. 2014 saw a huge increase in capacity, with the launch of a daily Newark service, the addition of a fourth daily flight from Los Angeles, and three additional flights per week from Chicago.
“The importance of the only nonstop Boston – Hong Kong service goes beyond just linking Boston with this key Asian business and tourism World City,” said Cathay Pacific Senior Vice President, Americas, Tom Owen. “We are also opening up the greater New England region to connect with numerous Asian cities, including over 22 destinations in Mainland China, as well as key economic and tourism hubs throughout Southeast Asia, such as Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Bali, and Hanoi. This new service means that flying times from Boston will now be significantly reduced to this region. With our award-winning product and services, New England customers will be able to experience a truly premium international travel experience, whatever their class of travel.”
“The doors of Massachusetts are open to the world, and we are eager both to strengthen existing global relationships and to build new ones,” said Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick. “This new service will allow us to continue to expand on these efforts and more easily connect and collaborate with innovators, inventors and investors in the Asian market. I thank Cathay Pacific and Massport for their leadership and partnership.”
“In addition to passenger demand, there is also an opportunity for increased freight from New England to Asia, due to the Boeing 777-300ER belly capacity, and connectivity through our new Cargo Terminal in Hong Kong to Cathay’s extensive Asian freighter network,” Owen added. “New England has strong business, educational and cultural ties with Hong Kong, China and Asia as a whole, and with the support of our partners at the Massachusetts Governor’s office and Massport, Cathay Pacific looks forward to making this new route a success and then growing it further.”
“When the service most recently named the World’s Best Airline said they wanted to make Boston a nonstop destination, it told us we were doing something right,” said Massport CEO Tom Glynn. “This announcement recognizes the flourishing business opportunities that exist throughout New England. And with now 40 nonstop international destinations, Boston is an even more important player in the global economy.”
This marks the 12th international nonstop service added to Logan since Governor Patrick took office in 2007. With 74 nonstop domestic and 40 international destinations, Boston’s Logan Airport is a key economic engine for the region, contributing more than $8 billion annually, and enhancing and enabling economic growth and vitality throughout New England.
The total origin-destination market between Boston and Hong Kong, plus the 44 Asian cities accessed via Cathay Pacific / Dragonair’s Hong Kong hub, represented over 331,000 passengers and $332 million revenue annually in 2013. Boston is the largest U.S. – Hong Kong market without nonstop service. More than 53,000 passengers flew between Logan and Hong Kong in 2013.
The Boston service will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft featuring Cathay Pacific’s renowned cabin products, including the newly-refreshed First Class; awarding-winning Business Class; the newest cabin class, Premium Economy; and the new long-haul Economy Class. Together with the exceptional service provided by Cathay Pacific’s award-winning cabin crew and a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system in all classes, passengers will be provided with the best possible travel experience when they fly between Boston and Hong Kong.
The flight schedule for Cathay Pacific’s Boston (BOS) service, effective May 3, 2015, will be as follows (all times local and subject to government and regulatory approval):
About Cathay Pacific:
The international flag carrier of Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific Airways operates 111 flights per week to Hong Kong and beyond, including over 22 destinations in Mainland China, from five cities in the USA and two in Canada: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), Newark Liberty, San Francisco, Vancouver and Toronto; and offers cargo flights to 15 cities across the Americas using the latest 747-8 freighter fleet. Cathay Pacific is a member of the oneworld alliance.
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© 2014 Nassau News Live