Cathay Pacific to Return Capacity to Pre-Crisis Levels as Economy Recovers

Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd., Hong Kong’s biggest carrier, said it will return capacity to levels reached before the global recession as an economic recovery revives travel demand.

The carrier plans to add more flights to France, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Japan, it said in an e-mailed statement today. Capacity, or the number of seats available multiplied by the distance flown, will rise about 4 percent, it said.

Cathay Pacific joins Singapore Airlines Ltd. in adding more flights after it boosted first-half passenger numbers 8.5 percent and increased profit more than eightfold. The airline slashed services and gave staff unpaid leave during the global recession to pare costs amid slumping demand for business and leisure travel.

The airline will add more service to Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, Cairns, Auckland, Toronto and Osaka from November, it said. Flights to Paris will climb to 11 a week by December.

To contact the reporter on this story: Neil Denslow in Hong Kong at ndenslow@bloomberg.net

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