Cathay Pacific Airways (Cathay) announced on Monday that Shanghai will return to the airline's passenger network in December with daily flights between Hong Kong International Airport and Shanghai's Pudong International Airport.

The service will begin on December 1. Flight CX368 will depart from Hong Kong every day except Friday at 6:40 P.M., while CX367 will depart from Pudong at 10:35 P.M. On Fridays, CX362 will depart at 11:35 P.M., and CX362 flies back in to Hong Kong on Saturday morning at 3:05 A.M.

The passenger service is in addition to the 12 freight flights that Cathay already operates between Hong Kong and Shanghai each week.

Cathay’s Chief Executive Philip Chen said: "We are delighted to be flying passengers to Shanghai once again, after a 16-year break. Our strong global network and connectivity, plus our fleet of large wide-bodied aircraft, will maximize the efficient use of the additional traffic rights and boost the Hong Kong hub and economy."

Cathay first started passenger flights between Hong Kong and Shanghai in 1981. But under a regulation made by the former Hong Kong government, airlines were only allowed to ply a single air route to the mainland. Cathay had to suspend its Shanghai flights in 1990. Cathay started applying for the right to fly the Shanghai route again in 2003.

At present, China Eastern operates 14 daily flights between Shanghai and Hong Kong, while Dragonair, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cathay, operates 16 daily flights to and from Shanghai.

Shanghai is an important mainland market for Cathay, accounting for 35 percent of the passenger market and 68 percent of the cargo market between the mainland and Hong Kong.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2006)