Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways on Friday forecast its first half-year profit in three years, buoyed by a strong rebound in travel demand and one-off gain from a stake sale in Air China.
The city's flagship carrier had posted record losses for the last three years as it parked much of its fleet during the pandemic due to a lack of demand amid COVID-related flight cancellations and drastic headcount cuts owing to restrictions.
That is turning around on the back of a meteoric jump in travel amid "considerable demand" to and from China’s mainland, while high ticket prices and an increase in the frequency of flights to popular destinations also support the recovery.
In the first five months of this year, Cathay Pacific carried about 6.3 million passengers, compared with a meagre figure of about 185,000 last year.
Based on Refinitiv Eikon estimates, Cathay Pacific is expected to record an annual profit of HK$3.44 billion this year, compared with a loss attributable of HK$7.16 billion last year.
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