By South China Morning Post | Created at 2026-08-19 11:11:59 | Updated at 2026-08-19 11:44:18
33 minutes ago
Qatar Airways has set up its new regional cargo office in Hong Kong, with the city’s transport minister using the occasion to reveal a local airline would soon announce a relaunch of direct flights to Central Asia.
Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mable Chan dropped the hint, but did not name the airline, when she attended the opening ceremony for Qatar Airways’ regional cargo office and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the carrier and the Airport Authority.
She said the local carrier would announce on Thursday that it was relaunching flights to Kazakhstan’s capital Almaty to expand Hong Kong’s flight network.
“Capitalising on the opportunities brought by the [three runway system] and the country’s support for the “Air Silk Road”, the [Hong Kong government] will continue to forge closer ties in air services with global aviation partners, with priority focus on regions with further development potential and new growth areas, such as South America, Central Asia, Africa and the Middle East,” she said.
The South China Morning Post has learned that local flag carrier Cathay Pacific Airways is the airline behind the new direct route to Almaty.
Cathay earlier said it planned to relaunch the route in the first quarter of next year, which would consist of three flights a week by an Airbus A330-300 widebody aircraft.
