Hong Kong carrier posts double-digit tonnage growth for eighth consecutive month as dangerous goods solutions drive demand, with new Madrid freighter service planned for October peak season.
Cathay Cargo’s Dangerous Goods solutions kept volumes buoyant in August, with strong growth, particularly the transport of lithium batteries movements to the Oceania region.
The Hong Kong-based airline said in its latest figures, published in September that it carried 13% more cargo in August 2025 than in August 2024, although capacity in terms of available freight tonne kilometres (AFTKs) increased somewhat faster, by 15%.
In the first eight months of 2025, total tonnage increased by 11% compared with the same period for 2024.
Cathay chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said: “We continued to see healthy year-on-year tonnage growth in August. Demand for capacity into the Americas remains robust.”
In September, Lau expects momentum to continue into the traditional air cargo peak, spurred by new high-tech product launches. To meet rising demand, Cathay would introduce additional freighter schedules, including a new weekly service to Madrid from 13 October.
With passenger traffic also buoyant, at over 110,000 per day, Cathay is continuing to add to its network with flights to Seattle due to start on 30 March 2026, re-establishing a direct connection between Hong Kong and the US West Coast tech hub.
It is also upping frequency to Dallas-Fort Worth and Riyadh to daily in the upcoming winter season, Lau added. Early August also saw the resumption of the four-times-weekly service to Brussels.
Frontloading to avoid additional tariff costs combined with demand for machinery and perishables boosted Cathay Cargo’s volumes in July.
