Australians will have a new one-stop option to Spain from June 2016 when Cathay Pacific launches flights to Madrid from its Hong Kong hub.
The four-times weekly service with three-class Boeing 777-300ERs takes off on June 2 2016, Cathay said in a statement on Friday.
It will be the only nonstop flight between Hong Kong and Madrid, and is Cathay’s first destination in Spain.
The announcement continues a period of European expansion for the oneworld alliance member, which has added Manchester, Dusseldorf and Zurich to its network in the past year.
“Network expansion is part of our core strategy, underpinning our efforts to strengthen Hong Kong’s position as one of the world’s great international aviation hubs,” Cathay chief executive Ivan Chu said in a statement.
“We are committed to expanding our presence in Europe.”
The flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with CX315 departing Hong Kong just after midnight for a morning arrival in Madrid. The reciprocal CX320 leaves the Spanish capital at lunchtime, touching down in Hong Kong the following morning.
Cathay flies to Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney from Hong Kong.
Other one-stop options for Australians headed to Madrid include Air China (via Beijing Capital), Emirates (via Dubai), Etihad (via Abu Dhabi), Korean Air (via Seoul Incheon) and Qatar (via Doha).
