Cathay Pacific inks code-share deal with Dragonair

Cathay Pacific Airways has entered into a new code-share arrangement with wholly-owned subsidiary Dragonair, as part of the integration of the two carriers.

Dragonair became a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific effective Sept. 28 this year. Under the code-share partnership Cathay Pacific and Dragonair will jointly operate through an internal routing arrangement, thus providing more choices for air travel.

The code-share applies to seven cities and will be effective on flights to Shanghai, Beijing, Xiamen, Tokyo and Kota Kinabalu by Dec. 1, 2006. It will also apply to two new Dragonair destinations – Phuket, which will be launched on Dec. 15, and Busan (subject to government approval), where flights begin on Jan. 19, 2007. All the code-share flights will carry both the "CX" and "KA" codes.

Officials said the code-share will extend the Cathay Pacific network by three destinations – Kota Kinabalu, Phuket and Busan – to 105, giving passengers more choice on routes where both carriers operate.

For example, for the Shanghai route, passengers can choose to fly the Cathay Pacific daily service, which will be launched on Dec. 1, or the other 16 daily flights which are code-shared with Dragonair.

Vivian Lo, Cathay Pacific country manager for the Philippines, said that the integration is beneficial, especially for the travellers from the Philippines.

"Filipinos love to travel, and now they have more choices in terms of routes plus the opportunity to visit more places. Moreover, travellers from the Philippines and overseas can conveniently book a Cathay Pacific ticket to the code-shared destinations through the Cathay Pacific website," she noted.

For his part, Cathay Pacific director for corporate development Augustus Tang explained that the principal aim of the integration with Dragonair is to create new synergies that will bring a range of benefits for passengers as well as help to further develop Hong Kong as an international aviation hub. "The code-share marks another significant step towards achieving this aim," he said.

Recent developments since the integration of the two airlines include the relaunch of Dragonair’s Phuket service, a reduction in the "minimum connecting time"between the two carriers that led to at least 451 same-day connections each week for passengers traveling through Hong Kong International Airport; and the launch of a new Dragonair service to Busan.

Officials revealed that work is ongoing in other areas, including the alignment of flight schedules for the two carriers which promises to redefine service and convenience for both Cathay Pacific and Dragonair passengers.