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Cathay Pacific marks 80 years since its 1946 Hong Kong founding
The airline said it moved 37 million passengers in 2025 across Cathay Pacific and its budget arm HK Express.
Cathay Pacific was registered in Hong Kong in 1946 by former World War II pilots Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow, and the carrier began operations with a single converted Douglas DC-3 nicknamed “Betsy,” according to an SCMP Economy archive feature.
The outlet says the aircraft initially carried much-needed goods between Australia and post-war Shanghai as the airline took shape.
Today, Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of 180 aircraft, and the story adds that together with its budget arm HK Express it transported 37 million passengers in 2025.
The piece is framed as an “On This Day” look back at the airline’s history through SCMP’s archive photos and coverage.