Xinjiang's Urumqi has become a popular travel destination for many Hong Kong residents in recent years. Cathay Pacific launched a direct flight route between HK and Urumqi in late April this year, initially offering four round-trip flights per week.
According to James Tong, Director of Public Affairs at Cathay Pacific's parent company, Swire Group, the airline initially launched the route to "test the market response." He noted that the initial feedback has been very positive.
Tong shared that some of his acquaintances enjoy vacationing in Xinjiang, while many travelers use HK as a transit hub to reach the region. He believes that increasing the frequency to one flight per day is feasible but emphasized that the implementation will depend on the airline's capacity and the operational capacity of Urumqi's airport.
He also highlighted a significant increase in cargo volume since the launch of the direct route. He noted the immense market potential of Xinjiang's fruit exports and expressed interest in strengthening trade, particularly exporting electronic products from HK to Xinjiang in the future.
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