Swoop on Cathay Pacific’s 75th anniversary ‘upcycled’ memorabilia

Cathay Pacific is marking its 75 years of flying with a unique collection of memorabilia for fans of the airline and frequent flyers who've spent more hours than they could remember aloft in a CX jet or relaxing in their favourite Cathay lounge.

The limited-edition merchandise transforms parts of retired aircraft into metal pens, cardholders and aviation tags, while hundreds of cockpit and cabin crew uniforms have been restitched to create stylish cushions, bags and even teddy bears.

In other words, every piece has a tangible connection to Cathay's past – and they're all for sale using either AsiaMiles or more conventional currency, with free delivery included, at the Cathay Shop (just be sure to set your 'delivery location' prior to shopping).

The Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400 pen & cardholder set (HKD2,269 or 48,610 AsiaMiles) is cast from aluminium recovered from Cathay Pacific's last-even Boeing 747-400.

"The Boeing 747 is the Queen of the Skies – it's an icon of the time when Cathay went international and travel really started to become popular with people in Hong Kong" says Jessica Lee, Brand Manager at Cathay.

"When we had the last flight in 2016, we knew that it was very special – so we decided to save it for a big occasion."

The pen itself is inspired by the iconic profile of the jumbo jet; only 435 of these stylish sets have been made, and each bears a unique serial number.

"For aviation fans it means a lot to own a piece of the aircraft," says Lee.

"And a cardholder represents a moment when you meet somebody. With these cardholders we imagine people asking where it's from. It becomes a way to start a conversation."

Likewise, the Boeing 777-200 aviation tag (HKD330 or 7,230 AsiaMiles) has been forged from the body of Cathay's Boeing 777-200 with the tail number B-HND.

This jet joined the fleet on 13 June 1996 and carried more than six million passengers over her lifetime, before being retired on 7 August 2019.

Perhaps the standout of the collection is the Cathay Pacific 75th anniversary aircraft models collector's box set (HKD 3,200 or 59,410 AsiaMiles).

This features seven 1:500 scale model aircraft representing seven eras in the airline's history, from the very first Douglas DC-3 named 'Betsy' through to the Lockheed Tristar, Boeing 747-400, Airbus A350-1000 and the new Airbus A321neo.

Each aircraft features a serial number printed on the belly or wing; the box itself is inspired by Hong Kong's runway 25R and can be transformed into a presentation stage to showcase the aircraft.

Cathay says that only 1,000 sets will be made available, and these are sure to sell out fast.

If all that's just a little too #avgeek, Cathay is also offering "a range of stylish lifestyle accessories" made from cabin crew and cockpit uniforms and created with Hong Kong lifestyle label G.O.D. (priced from HKD190-521, or 4,250-11,720 Asia Miles).

"We wanted it to feel very crafted, unique, and also very Cathay," Lee says of the unique patchwork design used in the range, which draws together pieces from all the different uniforms.

"You have the silk ties; you have black, different shades of red; and then a white blouse with a brushwing pattern. It's quite iconic, it gives a good flavour of the uniforms, aesthetically looks great in the house, and it’s also something that represents G.O.D."

These items range from two sizes of uniform cushions to a teddy bear, an amenity pouch and a cross-body bags, and Lee believes they'll be "very popular with a lot of people in Hong Kong – anyone who's a lover of the brand, who's seen this iconic red on cabin crew."

"It's something that's very personal to them, and now they can enjoy having a piece of this fabric that’s travelled the world."

Click here to explore Cathay Pacific's 75th anniversary limited-edition merchandise collection.

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.