Cathay Pacific's Tel Aviv-Hong Kong route takes flight - Ilan Gattegno and Shlomi Diaz

by Ilan Gattegno and Shlomi Diaz

Hong Kong-based carrier is operating four weekly flights, with a fifth to be added in September due to growing demand • Route to lower flight prices by up to 15% • Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz: This is a day of celebration for Israeli aviation.

Cathay Pacific has won the World's Best Airline award four times

The first Cathay Pacific airline flight from Hong Kong to Israel landed at Ben-Gurion International Airport on Sunday morning.

The landing followed the October 2016 announcement by the Hong Kong-based airline that it would begin operating four weekly direct flights between Israel and Hong Kong International Airport in March 2017. 

Paul Loo, director of corporate development at Cathay Pacific, who arrived in Israel to inaugurate the route, announced Sunday that growing demand has prompted the carrier to add a fifth weekly flight, starting from Sept. 1. 

Transportation Minister Yisrael Katz and Tourism Minister Yariv Levin attended the inauguration event. 

"This is a day of celebration for the Israeli aviation industry: The skies are opening eastward lowering flight prices for Israelis and boosting incoming tourism," Katz said. He said the new Israel-Hong Kong route is expected to lower flight prices by 10% to 15%. 

"Cathay Pacific is considered one of the leading airlines in the world, and launching the route will see many Israelis enjoy flying to the Far East at attractive fares and high quality service," he said. 

Levin added that his ministry's efforts have led to a 25% increase in incoming tourism. 

"Cathay Pacific joins a trend of new foreign airlines that have begun operating in Israel, including China's Hainan Airlines, Air India and Irish low-cost airline Ryanair. Adding these routes will lead to further growth in incoming tourism, specifically from China and the Far East," he said.

For its Israel route, Cathay Pacific is using the environmentally friendly 280-seat Airbus A350, the latest model by the European manufacturer. 

Cathay Pacific was founded in 1946 and is a member of the Oneworld airline alliance, which also includes top carriers American Airlines and British Airways. It has won the World's Best Airline award four times, more than any other airline.

Ilan Gattegno and Shlomi Diaz

Source: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=41367

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