Cathay Pacific to strengthen Europe connections with daily service to Rome

A daily service, increased from the current five flights a week, will provide passengers greater flexibility for travel between Italy, Hong Kong and connecting points in Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

The airline this week also announced the launch of two other new services to Europe - to Moscow and Manchester, England, which will start 27 March 2006. It will be the first time Cathay Pacific has ever flown to Russia, and the airline will offer the only direct service to Manchester.

The new services follow Cathay Pacific's biggest order for new aircraft, intended to increase the frequency of flights, connections and add new destinations from its Hong Kong hub. The airline ordered 16 Boeing 777-300ER long-range jets, with purchase rights for 20 more, plus three Airbus A330-300s for regional routes.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Philip Chen said: "Cathay Pacific offers more flights to Europe from Hong Kong than any other airline, and the only service to Italy. The addition of more Cathay Pacific services makes travelling via Hong Kong a far more attractive proposition to passengers and multiplies the airport's strength as a global hub and gateway to the Chinese Mainland."

Cathay Pacific currently operates 54 passenger services to five cities in Europe each week. It operates four flights a day to London, plus daily services to Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Paris, and five weekly flights to Rome. The airline serves 92 destinations world-wide.

Full Rome schedule. New services in BOLD ITALIC

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