Cathay Pacific and HK Express to cut flights from mid‑May to June to offset surging fuel costs

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The two airlines will cancel around 2% and 6% of their passenger flights respectively.

Cathay Pacific Airways will cancel around 2% of its passenger flights from mid‑May to the end of June in a bid to ease cost pressures caused by surging oil prices, according to local media reports. Its budget carrier, HK Express, will cut about 6% of its services over the same period.

From 16 May to 30 June 2026, Cathay will reportedly consolidate select passenger flights, primarily affecting short‑haul regional routes together with a limited number of services to and from Australia, South Asia, and South Africa. HK Express will similarly consolidate a small number of its scheduled flights between 11 May and 30 June.

Both airlines said affected travellers will be rebooked on alternative flights departing within 24 hours of their original itinerary.

In a statement cited by local media, Cathay said it had “pursued every suitable means” to keep operations running normally in the past month, but these efforts have not been enough to mitigate the impact of rising fuel prices. The airline said capacity reduction is “a carefully considered last resort”, adding that it will work to minimise the impact on passengers and “apologised for the inconvenience caused”.

Cathay said it plans to operate its full scheduled services from July onwards, though this remains dependent on latest developments in the Middle East and future fuel price movements.

Currently, all Cathay flights to and from Dubai and Riyadh are cancelled through 30 June 2026, while services to Tel Aviv remain suspended until further notice.

Separately, HK Express has announced that from 10 June 2026, all its departing flights will relocate to Terminal 2 (T2) for check‑in and bag drop. Additional details will be shared in due course. Arrival operations will continue at Terminal 1 (T1), with immigration, customs, baggage claim, and arrival hall procedures unchanged.

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