Cathay Pacific group targets significant capacity growth as it moves beyond rebuilding period

The Cathay Pacific Group has revealed more details of its plans for network growth this year, as it switches its focus from rebuilding to expansion, despite fleet challenges.

Cathay Pacific has announced a slew of new destinations, and more are still under wraps.

The new routes will help the airline leverage strengthening demand in key markets, such as mainland China, with major capacity gains also expected via frequency increases this northern summer.

Depending what measurements are used, the group has either fully recovered to pre-pandemic capacity and flight levels, or is very close to that point.

Either way, it is primed to move beyond these levels this year, although prepandemic comparisons are no longer a focus for the airline.

Lavinia Lau, Cathay Pacific's chief customer and commercial officer, talked to the Aviation Week Network in Hong Kong recently about the airline's network and fleet strategies.

However, it remains unclear to what extent the gathering macroeconomic and geopolitical clouds will affect the airline's plans.