Cathay Pacific Airways has marked the 50th anniversary of its service to Fukuoka, Japan.
The airline launched the Fukuoka–Hong Kong route on September 2, 1965, and now operates 10 round-trips per week: two round-trips per day on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and one round-trip per day on the other days. In addition, group carrier HK Express operates four round-trips per day, meeting strong demand.
On September 2, nine ground staff members wearing uniforms from different eras appeared near the check-in counters. Passengers on flight CX589 to Hong Kong received a wooden fan bearing the Cathay Pacific logo and an original Fukuoka Airport tote bag.
In July, following a prediction that a major disaster would occur in Japan, bookings on Japan routes plunged; however, the airline said Fukuoka was not significantly affected. While other cities see high tourism demand, Fukuoka has more everyday demand such as for shopping and dining. For that reason, it is often possible to obtain products there that are hard to find in Tokyo or Osaka.
The carrier currently serves six airports in five Japanese cities: Sapporo/New Chitose, Tokyo/Haneda, Tokyo/Narita, Nagoya/Chubu, Osaka/Kansai, and Fukuoka. It celebrated the 65th anniversary of service to Japan in 2024, and in 2025 will mark the 65th anniversary of service to Osaka and the 35th anniversary of service to Sapporo.
