For the first time since the onset of the pandemic, Cathay Pacific will fly between Hong Kong and Chicago. This is yet another step in the recovery of air travel between the US and China and reestablishes the airline’s presence in the Midwest.
The route
The new flight, designated CX807, is scheduled to fly from Chicago to Hong Kong three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The flight departs Chicago at 4:05 PM and touches down in Hong Kong at 8:45 PM the following day.
On the return leg, flight CX806 is scheduled to leave Hong Kong at 12:30 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and will land in Chicago at 2:25 PM on the same day.
Cathay is using its relatively new Airbus A350-1000 for this route.
Strategic significance
Chicago O’Hare is among Cathay Pacific’s most significant cargo ports in the Americas, serving customers not only from Chicago but also from the broader Midwest. With the A350-1000 aircraft boasting a capacity for 14 pallets in its belly, it augments Cathay Cargo’s dedicated freighter service to Hong Kong, which already operates eight times a week.
I’m excited
As a new resident of Chicago who hasn’t yet flown Cathay’s A350-1000, I’m thrilled by the news. I was planning a trip in 2020, but those plans were buried when Covid struck. This new route almost seems like the aviation gods subtly reminding me that I still need to take that trip. I’m planning to take this flight sometime in the spring, so you can expect a full trip report soon after.
