MUMBAI: Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific has resumed its non-stop passenger service from Hyderabad, the capital city of India’s Telangana state, on 31 March. The service operates three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays, and Sundays, ensuring seamless travel connections for customers to Hong Kong and beyond.
With this resumption, Cathay Pacific now operates across five Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad – connecting India to its home hub, Hong Kong.
Cathay’s Regional General Manager South Asia, Middle East, and Africa, Rakesh Raicar, said: “Resuming flights to Hyderabad is a significant step in our India expansion strategy. With this resumption, we remain committed to providing Indian travellers with more choice, greater connectivity, and world-class service.
“Hyderabad’s economic rise and growing outbound travel demand make it a vital addition to our network.
As we continue to enhance our operations, our focus remains on fostering connections – bringing people, businesses, and economies closer, while reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a leading international aviation hub.”
GMR Hyderabad International Airport Ltd. CEO Pradeep Panicker said: “We are delighted to welcome back Cathay Pacific to Hyderabad. The resumption of direct flight services between Hyderabad and Hong Kong represents a significant milestone in our international connectivity.
This development will facilitate stronger business ties, tourism, and cultural exchange between these two dynamic regions. Additionally, the resumption introduces valuable belly cargo capacity, allowing us to offer more time-bound solutions for the Hyderabad market, particularly benefiting time-sensitive products such as perishables, mail, and courier services.”
The airline, in a press statement said that the resumption of flights from Hyderabad underscores the significance of India to Cathay Pacific’s global network. The direct service is operated by the airline’s Airbus A330-300 aircraft, featuring Business and Economy cabins.
Cathay Pacific now operates a total of 39 return passenger flights per week from five destinations in India. This will rise to 43 return flights per week by 1 September 2025, including five flights per week from Hyderabad, double-daily flights from Delhi, ten flights per week from Mumbai, and daily flights from Bengaluru and Chennai.
“The Cathay Group ensures convenient connections from Hong Kong to key destinations across other cities of the Greater Bay Area, Japan, Korea, the Southwest Pacific, and North America. Together, Cathay Pacific and low-cost carrier HK Express have already announced 13 new destinations in 2025, with more to come. The two airlines will operate flights to more than 100 destinations globally within this year,” the airline said.
In addition to passenger travel, the return of Cathay Pacific’s Hyderabad flights will also provide belly space for carrying cargo. With Cathay Cargo’s enhanced capabilities for time-sensitive shipments, including perishables and express deliveries, businesses in Hyderabad can enjoy faster, more reliable logistics solutions, supporting the transport of pharmaceuticals, electronics, and high-value goods.
Cathay Cargo currently operates up to 13 weekly freighter flights between Hong Kong and Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai, in addition to utilising belly space on Cathay Pacific’s passenger flights.
Meanwhile, the Hyderabad=Rajiv Gandhi International Airport registered around 15% growth in total traffic in 2024 compared to 2023. On 22 February 2025, the airport recorded its highest-ever passenger traffic of 93,575 passengers.
On 26 February 2025, the airport recorded its highest number of air traffic movements at 622. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport crossed the 25 million passenger traffic mark in 2024 compared to 21 million passenger traffic in 2023, marking a 19% year-on-year increase.