Cathay reported another month of broad-based growth in August 2026, with its passenger airlines setting an all-time traffic record and Cathay Cargo posting a 9% year-on-year rise in tonnage, driven by resilient demand for semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and priority shipments ahead of the year-end peak.
Cathay reported another month of broad-based growth in August 2026, with its passenger airlines setting an all-time traffic record and Cathay Cargo posting a 9% year-on-year rise in tonnage, driven by resilient demand for semiconductors, pharmaceuticals and priority shipments ahead of the year-end peak.
Cathay Pacific and HK Express together carried more than 3.6 million passengers during the month, up 4% from August 2025 and a new combined high for the group. On the cargo side, Cathay Cargo moved more than 150,000 tonnes, up 9% year on year, while available freight tonne kilo meters (AFTKs) increased by 1%. For the first eight months of 2026, total cargo tonnage rose 8% against the same period in 2025.
"Driven by robust travel demand during the second half of the summer peak and healthy cargo demand across key markets, August marked another positive month for our travel and cargo businesses, despite elevated jet fuel prices," said Lavinia Lau, Chief Customer and Commercial Officer at Cathay. "Our passenger airlines, Cathay Pacific and HK Express, together achieved a new all-time record by carrying more than 3.6 million passengers during the month, up 4% year on year. Meanwhile, Cathay Cargo carried over 150,000 tonnes of cargo, 9% more than the same period last year.
Strength across several of Cathay Cargo's specialist solutions supported the tonnage increase. Demand for Cathay Expert, the carrier's high-technology and electronics service, was fuelled by strong intra-Asia semiconductor movements. Cathay Pharma, its temperature-controlled healthcare offering, recorded notable growth from Europe and the Chinese Mainland. Cathay Priority, an express solution for time-sensitive freight, also performed well.
"Cargo tonnage in August was supported by healthy demand across our key markets," Lau said. "Demand for Cathay Expert was driven by robust semiconductor shipments within Asia, while Cathay Pharma reported notable growth from Europe and the Chinese Mainland. Our Cathay Priority solution also continued to perform well, reflecting shippers' need to replenish inventory ahead of the traditional year-end air cargo peak."
For cargo owners planning around the fourth quarter, that early replenishment signal matters. Reliable capacity across defined service tiers gives shippers a clearer path to protecting delivery commitments and managing landed costs as demand tightens into the peak.
Cathay Cargo opened September by transporting more than 50 horses from Liege to Hong Kong for CAVALLUNA's first performance outside Europe, a movement that underscored the carrier's live-animal handling capability across long-haul routes.
"Turning to September, we were honoured to fly more than 50 horses from Liege to Hong Kong earlier this month for CAVALLUNA's debut performance outside Europe, showcasing our expertise in transporting live animals," Lau said.
Looking ahead, Cathay expects demand to hold firm through the remainder of the year. "Looking ahead, demand is expected to remain strong, supported in part by high-tech product launches and rising demand as we enter the traditional air cargo peak season," Lau said.
The combination of record passenger volumes, rising cargo tonnage and steady demand across specialist product lines positions Cathay to enter the fourth quarter with momentum, offering shippers, forwarders and importers dependable capacity at the point in the calendar when reliability counts most.
