Cathay Pacific confirmed on Saturday (18 July) that it has pushed back the restart of its Middle-East passenger network by almost two months as the carrier continues to monitor geopolitical volatility and elevated jet-fuel prices. Daily passenger services to Dubai, originally slated for 1 September, will now resume on 25 October, while four-weekly flights to Riyadh are rescheduled from 2 September to 26 October. Freighter operations to Riyadh, which had been pencilled in for 1 August, have been deferred indefinitely. The Hong Kong flag-carrier said affected customers can rebook, change destinations or obtain full refunds without penalty. Corporate travel managers may also swap tickets for alternative Cathay routes through Doha, Jeddah or Singapore, depending on inventory. The airline stressed that demand across most long-haul markets remains robust and that its July–August schedule integrity “will be maintained,” but it must remain agile where security and cost risks are unusually high. Industry analysts note that Cathay’s decision comes just as rival Gulf carriers add capacity into Asia-Pacific, highlighting how lingering regional tensions can skew network-planning calculus. For Hong Kong-based multinationals with projects in the Gulf Cooperation Council, the delay means longer routings via Qatar Airways or Emirates throughout the early-autumn contracting season. Freight forwarders exporting high-value electronics from the Greater Bay Area will also need to divert shipments via Dubai-bound belly-hold space on other carriers or truck to Guangzhou for China Southern’s freighters. Travel-risk consultants advise organisations to update Middle-East travel advisories and ensure emergency-assistance providers are aware of the revised launch dates. Meanwhile, HR departments using Cathay’s corporate contract should check whether the airline’s “Advance Purchase Booklet” discounts can be transferred to partner airlines under the oneworld alliance during the hiatus.
Source: The Standard (Hong Kong)
