Cathay Pacific to resume direct flights from Mumbai, Delhi to Hong Kong next month

Cathay Pacific will resume direct flights from the Indian cities of Delhi and Mumbai to the Asian economic hub of Hong Kong from the first week of May.

The first non-stop flight to resume has been scheduled between Mumbai and Hong Kong on May 4, Hong Kong's flagship carrier said in a press release. From Delhi, the resumption of direct flight services to Hong Kong will start from May 6, it added.

"The resumption of scheduled services will provide travellers direct access to Hong Kong in addition to onward connections to popular destinations including New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Toronto, Melbourne and Sydney," said Cathay Pacific.

The operation dates for the Mumbai-Hong Kong flights were stated as May 4, 18 and 21. The return flights to the city from Hong Kong have been scheduled for June 10 and 21.

From Delhi, the Cathay Pacific flights to Hong Kong will depart on May 6, 15 and 29, and the return flights to the Indian capital have been scheduled on June 8, 17 and 28.

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Cathay Pacific said it will deploy the Boeing B777-300 on its India routes, "catering to the healthy cargo demand as well as the passenger traffic".

Rakesh Raicar, the airline's Regional General Manager – South Asia, Middle East and Africa, said the resumption of flights from India will "ignite a spark of excitement" and help the Indian diaspora to connect with their loved ones.

"In the last two years many enhancements have been introduced to our product and services to ensure our customers can travel seamlessly and with confidence," Raicar said, adding that "with our onward connections to key destinations, we will also be able to accommodate the resurgent demand for international travel".

According to the Hong Kong government, immigration and quarantine requirements are currently in place for passengers landing in or transiting through Hong Kong, including presenting a negative COVID-19 test result.

Given these travel requirements, Cathay Pacific said it has collaborated with diagnostic labs across key cities in India including Mumbai and Delhi for travellers to conduct their RT-PCR tests.