Cathay Pacific Expands Long-Haul Reach with New Dallas/Fort Worth Route

Cathay Pacific is set to introduce a new long-haul route between Hong Kong and Dallas/Fort Worth, replacing the service last offered by American Airlines in 2020. This new addition will become Cathay's longest route and ranks as the 22nd longest non-stop flight in the world. Despite this, it still falls short of the distance covered by the previously served Washington Dulles route.

Cathay's top five longest routes have shifted significantly in recent years. With the new Dallas route taking the lead, New York JFK has been relegated to second place. This Texas route will be the only one of the top five to be serviced by the A350-1000 aircraft next summer. Cathay's fleet of A350-900s, known for their efficiency and fuel-saving capabilities, will continue to dominate the airline’s long-haul operations.

Cathay previously relied on the Boeing 777-300ER for several of these long-haul flights, including services to JFK, Boston, Toronto, and Chicago. However, the shift to the A350 family reflects both fuel efficiency improvements and the need for aircraft with longer range due to the current inability to fly through Russian airspace.

In the past, Cathay's longest route was from Hong Kong to Washington Dulles, which spanned 7,085 nautical miles and operated until February 2020. The airline also served Newark for six years, from 2014 to 2020, with the route reaching 7,009 nautical miles. Despite the high passenger loads on both routes, neither has returned, with the new Dallas/Fort Worth service leading Cathay's long-haul strategy.