As you will know by now, Cathay Pacific
will begin flying between Hong Kong and Dallas/Fort Worth. It will replace American Airlines
, which last served the oneworld market in 2020. The new route will be Cathay’s new longest and, according to Cirium data, the world’s 22nd longest non-stop link. However, the Texas route will not be as long as a previously served destination.

Cathay’s five longest routes

They are shown below. Dallas/Fort Worth’s entry has relegated New York JFK to the second spot. The Texas route is the only one of the top five to be scheduled on the 334-seat A350-1000 next summer, primarily due to the variant’s very long range.

Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000 departing HKG shutterstock_1968366916

Photo: Terry K | Shutterstock

Still, the A350-900 is much more critical to these five routes. Cathay has 30 of them, each with 280 seats: 38 in business class, 28 in premium economy, and 214 in economy.

As always, the distances are based on the Great Circle. Like so many airlines, Cathay avoids Russian airspace. Doing so necessarily adds distance to many of its routes.

Nautical miles (km)

Hong Kong to…

Comments about Cathay’s operation next summer

7,058 (13,071)

Dallas/Fort Worth

The brand-new route for the airline begins on April 24, 2025. It’ll run four times weekly on the A350-1000

7,014 (12,990)

New York JFK

Triple daily A350-900 and 777-300ER

6,926 (12,826)

Boston

Daily A350-900

6,787 (12,570)

Toronto

Double daily A350-900

6,773 (12,544)

Chicago O’Hare

Daily A350-900

The Boeing 777-300ER was critical

As recently as 2019, Cathay’s JFK, Boston, Toronto, and Chicago services were all on the 777-300ER. As the Russia-Ukraine war had not started, Cathay flew through Russian airspace.

Many of the flights saw the airline’s lighter 275-seat 777-300ER configuration, which obviously helped to increase the range with a heavy payload (including all-important freight). However, the layout no longer exists.

Cathay Pacific 777-300ER

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

Its first A350-900 joined Cathay’s fleet in May 2016, and its initial A350-1000 arrived in June 2018. They have progressively replaced the aging Boeing alternative with the fuel saving that brings.

It would be easy to say it is also partly because the Triple 7s would be less able to cover the additional ground from not flying over Russian airspace. There is probably truth to this, especially with a heavy payload. However, one of JFK’s triple daily flights will still be on it, with the 294-seat version (with first class) to be flown.

The top five have changed a lot

It might feel like a long time ago, but Cathay served Hong Kong-Washington Dulles between September 2018 and February 2020. According to the US Department of Transportation T-100 data, it carried 130,000 passengers and filled 78% of seats. As always, this does not indicate fares, yields, or performance, although the fact that it has not returned probably speaks volumes.

At 7,085 nautical miles (13,121 km), it was the airline’s longest route and would still be number one if it was still served. It was flown four times weekly, initially on the A350-1000—Dulles was Cathay’s first long-haul destination on the variant—but then the A350-900.

Cathay Pacific A350-900 on stand

Photo: EQ Roy I Shutterstock

Cathay served Newark between March 2014 and February 2020, with the DOT showing it carried just over one million passengers and filled 82% of seats. On a Great Circle basis, it covered 7,009 nautical miles (12,980 km) each way and operated daily.

Until Dulles materialized in September 2018, Newark was the carrier’s second-longest destination. It then slipped to third place, where it would now be if returned. The 777-300ER was flown until October 2017, after which the A350-900 took over.

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