2021 remained a challenging year for Cathay Pacific. The number of passenger flights continued to be down nearly 90 per cent from pre-pandemic levels, while the urgent demands made on air cargo only increased with immense pressure on the overall supply chain. Cathay Pacific Cargo endeavoured to keep as much cargo flying as possible, despite the challenges of having team members in Hong Kong and across the globe affected by quarantine restrictions or directly by the virus.
Here are some of the highlights. In 2021, Cathay Pacific Cargo:
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Operated close to 8,000 cargo-only passenger flights. A significant number of these were on six Boeing 777 ‘preighters’ reconfigured to accommodate cargo in the passenger cabin. |
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Reintroduced the round-the-world flights from Vietnam to Pittsburgh and back to Hong Kong via Milan, and the seasonal airbridge from Hobart |
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Started the year with the launch of its Vaccine Solution, a dedicated service to ensure that vaccines can be shipped around the world with very high levels of quality assurance. |
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Worked with Boeing and aviation regulators to safely carry more dry ice in its Boeing 747 freighters, enabling more ultra-low-temperature vaccines to be carried on each flight. |
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Shipped more than 120 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines around the world. |
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Carried more than 62,000 tonnes of fresh food and perishables. |
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Launched Ultra Track: the near real-time, multidimensional track-and-trace solution for pharmaceutical goods and other time- and temperature-sensitive shipments. |
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Was certified with CEIV Live Animals accreditation and was recertified with CEIV Pharma. |
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Carried more than 270,000 tonnes of lithium-ion batteries, and added a Fire Resistant Container to its range of dedicated products. |
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Rolled out Click & Ship, the online booking tool with instant confirmation, putting control into agents’ hands 24/7. |
