Cathay Pacific seeking more Hong Kong-Tokyo Haneda flights

Cathay Pacific is seeking to add more flights from Hong Kong to Tokyo's Haneda airport, citing the route's continued popularity with business travellers.

"There is obviously a slot issue here in Haneda, but it’s under discussion" says Toby Smith, Cathay Pacific’s General Manager Product (below). "We will continue to push for more flights at Haneda."

"Given its central position in downtown Tokyo it’s already in many ways the airport of choice for our passengers" Smith tells Australian Business Traveller.

"We have only two flights a day but they’re both large aircraft and they’re both long-haul configurations – they have first class and the lie-flat business class seat – whereas Narita is served by a combination of our regional aircraft as well as our long-haul aircraft."

"In terms of the proportion of premium passengers coming into Haneda, it’s on a par with Narita."

Cathay's interest in Haneda is clearly marked by the airline's investment in a new lounge at the airport (shown above and below), which opened late last year is also the first to adopt a new design which will flow through to other lounges in Manila, Bangkok, Taipei and Vancouver, along with Hong Kong's flagship The Pier.

AusBT review: Cathay Pacific's new Haneda Airport lounge

"This is very much an investment for the future" Smith explains. "This was the last space available in the airport for our lounge, and we’re the only non-Japanese carrier in the lounge, so we just thought it’s too good an opportunity to miss."

Cathay's Haneda airport lounge will also be available to travellers on Qantas' daily Sydney-Haneda flights which begin July 31st.

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David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.