As of 25 March 2018, Cathay Pacific will be operating a nonstop service to Hong Kong from Brussels Airport. Following direct flights to Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, Shanghai and Mumbai, Brussels Airport is further strengthening its Asian network thereby confirming the attractiveness of the Belgian market. Brussels Airport will be the 13th direct European destination in Cathay Pacific’s network.

One World alliance member Cathay Pacific will operate four flights a week from Brussels Airport using an Airbus A350, on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Flights will arrive at Brussels Airport around 7 am and will return to Hong Kong in the early afternoon around 1 pm.

The negotiations with Cathay Pacific started over three years ago and got in a final stage in the summer of 2017. The attractiveness of the Belgian market and the quality of the infrastructure at Brussels Airport have convinced the Asian carrier to start operations in Brussels on 25 March 2018.

“We are delighted to welcome Cathay Pacific to Brussels Airport. Cathay Pacific is one of the best airlines in the world renowned for the quality of its passenger service. Passengers departing from Brussels Airport will not only benefit from a nonstop service to Hong Kong but also from the numerous connections to the wide Asian and Pacific region which Cathay Pacific provides from its hub in Hong Kong. This is an important step in the development of direct connections between Belgium and Asia”, says Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport Company.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Officer Rupert Hogg: “We’re excited to offer the only direct flights between Hong Kong and Brussels. It is a fantastic destination and attracts business and leisure travellers from the world over. We listened to our customers’ demands for more options and greater flexibility and have responded by building direct air links with this great city.”

Last year, about 50,000 passengers travelled between Hong Kong and Belgium. The direct route to Hong Kong holds a huge potential for Belgian business travellers who place Hong Kong as the number 1 most wanted destination as it offers convenient onward connections to China, the Philippines, Indonesia, Vietnam, Australia, etc.

Currently, 11% of Belgian export is going to Asia and the trend is on the up. To support the economic growth of our country and our businesses, Brussels Airport aims to seize any opportunity to expand its network and further develop direct connections between Belgium and emerging countries.