Cathay Pacific

History

1946–1960: The early years

Cathay Pacific Airways was founded on 24 September 1946 in Hong Kong. Sydney "Syd" de Kantzow, Roy Farrell, Neil Buchanan, Donald Brittan Evans and Robert "Bob" Stanley Russell were the initial shareholders. Buchanan and Russell had already worked for de Kantzow and Farrell at Roy Farrell Import-Export Company, the predecessor of Cathay Pacific, that was initially headquartered in Shanghai. Both de Kantzow and Farrell were Ex-Air Force pilots who had flown The Hump, a route over the Himalayan mountains. Farrell purchased the airline's first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, nicknamed Betsy, at Bush Field, New York City in 1945. The company began freight services on 28 January 1950 from Sydney to Shanghai, after Farrell and Russell flew the plane to Australia and obtained a licence to carry freight (but not passengers) earlier that month. Its first commercial flight was a shipment of Australian goods. The profitable business soon attracted attention from Republic of China government officials. After several instances where the company's planes were detained by authorities in Shanghai, on 11 May 1946, the company relocated, flying its two planes to Hong Kong. Farrell and de Kantzow re-registered their business in Hong Kong on 24 September 1946 as Cathay Pacific Airways Limited, while another sister company, The Roy Farrell Export Import Company (Hong Kong) Limited, was incorporated on 28 August 1946 and chartered some flights from Cathay. (According to International Directory of Company Histories, two companies were formed for tax purposes.)

They named the airline Cathay, the ancient name given to China, and Pacific because Farrell speculated that they would one day fly across the Pacific (which happened in the 1970s), and, moreover, to avoid the name "Air Cathay" as it had already been used in a comic. The Chinese name for the company ("國泰") was not settled on until the 1950s. It comes from a Chinese idiom meaning "Peace and Prosperity" and was at the time often used by other businesses called "Cathay" in English.

According to legend, the airline's unique name was conceived by Farrell and some foreign correspondents at the bar of the Manila Hotel, while another narrative was the name was taken in the Cathay Hotel in Shanghai Bund, during drinking and brainstorming, and choosing Cathay was to avoid the word China in the airline name. On Cathay Pacific's maiden voyage, de Kantzow and Peter Hoskins flew from Sydney to Hong Kong via Manila. The airline initially flew routes between Hong Kong, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Shanghai, Saigon, and Bangkok, with additional chartered destinations. The airline grew quickly. By 1947, it had added another five DC-3s and two Vickers Catalina seaplanes to its fleet.

1960–1990: Expansion

The airline thrived during the late 1950s and into the 1960s, culminating in its acquisition of Hong Kong Airways on 1 July 1959. Between 1962 and 1967, the airline recorded double digit growth on average every year and became one of the world's first airlines to operate international services to Fukuoka, Nagoya and Osaka in Japan. In 1964, it carried its one millionth passenger and acquired its first jet engine aircraft, the Convair 880. In 1967, it became an all jet airline with the replacement of its last Lockheed L-188 Electra with a Convair 880.

In the 1970s, Cathay Pacific installed a computerised reservation system and flight simulators. In 1971, Cathay Pacific Airways received the first Boeing aircraft 707-320B. By 1972, it had five 707s. The new aircraft colour was known as Brunswick green. In July 1976, it began operating a Boeing 707 freighter from Hong Kong to Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore.

In 1974, Cathay Pacific almost purchased the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 to open a new flight route. During the flight route application process with the British government, due to the pressure from the British government, Cathay Pacific changed the application to apply for a route from Hong Kong to London using a Boeing 747. The application was ultimately rejected. In 1979, the airline acquired its first Boeing 747 and applied for traffic rights to fly to London in 1980, with the first flight taking place on 16 July.

Expansion continued into the 1980s. In 1982, Cathay Pacific Airways introduced Cathay Pacific Cargo (now Cathay Cargo), which provided cargo service to initiate the trend of Hong Kong becoming one of the largest re-export trading ports of the world. The airline's long-haul dedicated cargo services started a twice a week with Hong Kong-Frankfurt-London service operated jointly with Lufthansa. Cathay Pacific kept its service to Vancouver in 1983, with service on to San Francisco in 1986, when an industry-wide boom encouraged route growth to many European and North American centres including London, Brisbane, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, Paris, Zurich and Manchester.

On 15 May 1986, the airline went public and was listed in the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

1990–2000: Rebranding, renewal, and Oneworld

In January 1990, Cathay Pacific and its parent company, Swire, acquired a 35% shareholding in Dragonair, and a 75% stake in cargo airline Air Hong Kong in 1994. In 1994, the airline launched a program to upgrade its passenger service, including a HK$23 million program to update its image. Its logo was updated in 1994, and again in 2014.

The airline began a fleet replacement program in the mid-1990s, which cost a total of US$9 billion. In 1996, CITIC Pacific increased its holdings in Cathay Pacific from 10% to 25%, and two other Chinese companies, CNAC(G) and CTS, also bought substantial holdings, while the Swire Group holding was reduced to 44%. According to the International Directory of Company Histories, the sale of a 12.5% stake of Cathay Pacific by Swire Pacific to a Chinese state-owned company was regarded "as evidence of China's sincerity in maintaining the prosperity of Hong Kong."

In 1997, Cathay Pacific updated the registration numbers and flags on its fleet in conjunction with the handover of Hong Kong from the United Kingdom to China.

On 21 May 1998, Cathay Pacific took the first delivery of the Boeing 777-300 at a ceremony in Everett. On 21 September 1998, Cathay Pacific, together with American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, and Qantas, co-founded Oneworld airline alliance. Cathay Pacific temporarily took over the domestic and international operations of Philippine Airlines during its two-week shutdown from 26 September to 7 October 1998. The airline was hurt by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, but recorded a record HK$5 billion profit in 2000.

On 5 July 1998, Cathay Pacific operated its last flight from Kai Tak International Airport to London Heathrow Airport, with the former airport ceasing operations after more than 73 years of operation. The next day, Cathay Pacific began flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport to the new Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok International Airport. This flight was also the world's first nonstop transpolar flight from New York to Hong Kong.

2000–2010: Industrial troubles and acquisitions

The year 2000 saw Cathay Pacific experience labour relations issues while completing the acquisition of Dragonair.

In 2001, the Hong Kong Aircrew Officers Association (HKAOA) launched a "work to rule" campaign to further its campaign for pay improvements and changes to roster scheduling practices. The action involved pilots refusing to work flights that were not scheduled on their roster. Although this alone did not cause extensive disruption, rostered pilots began to call in sick for their flights. Combined with the work-to-rule campaign, the airline was unable to cover all of its scheduled flights, and cancellations resulted. Cathay Pacific steadfastly refused to negotiate with the HKAOA under threat of industrial action.

On 9 July 2001, reportedly following a comprehensive review of the employment histories of all its pilots, the company fired 49 of its 1,500 pilots. This group became known colloquially as "the 49ers". Nearly half of the fired pilots were captains, representing five percent of the total pilot group. Of the 21 officers of the HKAOA, nine were fired, including four of the seven union negotiators.

Then-HKAOA president Captain Nigel Demery took the view that "the firing was pure intimidation, a union-bust straight up, designed to be random enough to put the fear in all pilots that they might be next, no reason given". The dismissals were challenged in a number of legal proceedings, but none were reinstated. The airline later offered the 49 pilots it terminated in 2001 the chance to reapply for pilot positions with its cargo division, guaranteeing such applicants first interviews, subject to passing psychometric testing. Nineteen former employees applied and twelve were offered jobs.

On 11 November 2009, 18 of the 49ers succeeded in the Hong Kong Court of First Instance concerning their joint claims for breach of contract, breach of the Employment Ordinance, and defamation.

Judge Anselmo Reyes ruled that the airline had contravened the Employment Ordinance by dismissing the pilots without a valid reason, adding that they had been sacked primarily because of union activities. He also held that remarks by then-chief operating officer Philip Chen Nanlok and current chief executive Tony Tyler after the sackings were defamatory. The judge handed the pilots a victory in their long-running legal battle, with individual awards of HK$3.3 million for defamation together with a month's pay and HK$150,000 for the sackings.

2010–2020: Scandals and stagnancy

In 2010, the airline set another record high profit, amounting to HK$14.05 billion despite record losses set in the same decade. At the same time, Cathay Pacific had taken delivery of several new aircraft types, including the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-300ER. Tony Tyler left his position as CEO at the airline on 31 March 2010 to pursue his new job at the IATA. Chief operating officer John Slosar had succeeded as the new CEO. In addition, New Zealand's Commerce Commission had dropped charges against Cathay Pacific concerning the air cargo price-fixing agreements. In 2014, the airline underwent the largest network expansion in recent years which included the addition of links to Manchester, Zurich and Boston.

On 8 October 2016, Cathay Pacific retired their last passenger Boeing 747 (a 747–400 with reg B-HUJ) with a farewell scenic flight around Hong Kong after more than 35 years of service of the type. Cathay operated the 747 since August 1979, when it was inaugurated on services to Australia.

During the first half of 2016, Cathay Pacific's passenger yields fell 10 per cent, to the lowest in seven years as competing airlines from mainland China increased direct service to the U.S. and Europe, hurting the company's revenue from its Hong Kong hub. In October, Cathay Pacific scrapped its profit forecast for the second half of the year, less than two months after its issuance.

From 15 September 2016, Cathay Pacific decided to reintroduce fuel surcharge on many flights after its half-year net profits dropped more than 80% and it suffered HK$4.5 billion loss from wrong bets on fuel prices. As of September 2016, oil prices were halved from 2014 and stayed below US$50 a barrel.

Under new leadership, the airline started to transform its business after suffering from 2 years of consecutive loss. The strategy focuses on 5Ps – Places, Planes, Product, People, and Productivity to find new sources of revenue, deliver more value to its customers and improve efficiency and productivity.

The airline restructured its organisation to be more agile and faster in decision making as well as responding to customers' needs. It has also launched 13 new routes since 2017, introduced a wide range of changes to its service, including bringing back hot meals on its most busy route between Hong Kong and Taipei, designed an inflight menu that features famous Hong Kong dishes served in all cabins, and revamped its Business Class service proposition to provide more choice, more personalisation, better presentation and improved quality in its food and beverages offerings.

2020–present: COVID-19 pandemic, recovery and ongoing developments

On 9 June 2020, Cathay Pacific, Swire Pacific and Air China halted stock trading pending an announcement. On 10 June, Cathay Pacific and the Government of Hong Kong jointly announced a HK$39 billion recapitalisation plan and rescue package for Cathay Pacific. In the rescue package, the Government of Hong Kong will be issued HK$19.5 billion dividend-paying preference shares and HK$1.95 billion of warrants, giving it a 6% stake. The stake of the three major stakeholders, Swire Pacific, Air China, and Qatar Airways, would fall to 42%, 28% and 9.4% due to the government stake. Also, Cathay Pacific would receive a HK$7.8 billion bridging loan and the Government would have the right to appoint two observers on Cathay's board. The finance secretary of the HKSAR Government Paul Chan said, "It is not our intention to become a long-term shareholder of Cathay Pacific."

The COVID-19 pandemic led to travel bans and significantly reduced flight demands, which caused Cathay Pacific to cut international flights in response. In 2020, 96% of all flights from March to May were cancelled, while the group's subsidiary HKExpress suspended all flight operations from 23 March to 30 April 2020, due to reduced demand. At one point during the crisis, only 582 passengers flew with Cathay Pacific in an entire day.

In December 2020, the company said that it expected losses in the second half to be higher than the losses of the first half due to low demand, restructuring charges, and impairments on its fleet.

In 2021, the company posted a record annual loss of US$2.8 billion for 2020. It was also announced that the company would cut an additional 8,500 jobs.

On 22 April 2021, the company began its job cuts by closing its Canada pilot base, on the same day they began consultation with pilots at their Australia and New Zealand pilot bases regarding base closure in those jurisdictions. Pilots with the right to live and work in Hong Kong would be offered employment, however, those without the right to live and work in Hong Kong would face redundancy. On the same day, the company announced that they would review its bases in Europe and the United States later in the year.

Corporate affairs, identity and senior leadership

Business trends

The key trends for Cathay Pacific are (as of the financial year ending 31 December):

Head office

Cathay Pacific's head office, Cathay City, is located at Hong Kong International Airport. Cathay City was scheduled to be built in increments between April and September 1998. The headquarters opened in 1998. Previously the airline's headquarters were at the Swire House, which was a complex in Central named after the airline's parent company.

Major shareholders

Swire Pacific 45.12%

Air China 29.98%

Public & Institutions 24.90%

Subsidiaries and associates

Cathay Pacific has diversified into related industries and sectors, including ground handling, aviation engineering, and inflight catering.

Companies with Cathay Pacific Group stake include:

Livery

From June 1971 until November 1994, Cathay Pacific aircraft used a "lettuce leaf sandwich" livery in Brunswick green and white over bare metal and carried the British flag on the empennage. After the handover, aircraft carry the Brand Hong Kong logo and with HONG KONG or in Chinese 香港 under or beside the Brand Hong Kong logo instead of using the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) flag. The HKSAR flag has never appeared on any aircraft.

All Cathay Pacific aircraft carry the following livery, logos and trademarks: the "Brushwing" livery on the body and the vertical stabiliser, introduced in the early 1990s, and was first deployed on a Boeing 747–400 (VR-HOT, later re-registered as B-HOT), ahead of the launch of Airbus A340 service for Cathay Pacific. It also features the "Asia's world city" brandline, the Brand Hong Kong logotype and the dragon symbol; the Oneworld logo and the Swire Group logo. For most aircraft, the fuselage were all-white livery with a light green cheatline under cabin windows, but for some Cathay Pacific Cargo aircraft, especially Boeing 747-200F, they were bare-metal livery instead.

The brushwing logo consists of a calligraphic stroke against a green background; the stroke is intended to appear like the wing of a bird. The previous logo, consisting of green and white stripes, was in place from the early 1970s until 1994.

On 1 November 2015, the airline revealed a refreshed version of its previous livery, featuring a simpler paint scheme while maintaining its trademark brushwing on an all-green tail. It was first unveiled on a Boeing 777-300ER (B-KPM), in preparation for the delivery of the first Airbus A350 for Cathay Pacific. The aircraft was withdrawn from service in June 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to its lessor in September 2021 at the expiration of its lease. The second aircraft was a freighter aircraft, Boeing 747-400ERF (B-LIA). Repainting was completed in November 2024.

On 18 June 2023, Cathay Pacific updated its freighter livery, which replaced the "Cathay Pacific Cargo" text with the larger "Cathay Cargo" text, as part of Cathay Pacific's rebranding. It was first unveiled on a Boeing 747-8F (B-LJN). An Airbus A330-300 (B-HLV) was the last remaining aircraft that had the classic "Brushwing" livery until it was repainted in November 2024.

Senior leadership

Chairman: Guy Bradley (since May 2026)

Chief executive: Ronald Lam (since January 2023)

Former chairmen include:

E. McLaren (1948)

E. G. Price (1948–1949)

C. C. Roberts (1949–1950)

E. G. Price (1950); second term

C. C. Roberts (1950–1951); second term

J.A. Blackwood (1951–1957)

W. C. G. Knowles (1957–1964)

H. J. C. Browne (1964–1973)

Sir John Bremridge (1973–1980)

Duncan Bluck (1981–1984)

Michael Miles (1984–1988)

David Gledhill (1988–1992)

Peter Sutch (1992–1999)

James Hughes-Hallett (1999–2004)

David Turnbull (2005–2006)

Christopher Pratt (2006–2014)

John Slosar (2014–2019)

Patrick Healy (2019–2026)

Chief executive officers were referred to as managing directors before 1 July 1998. Former CEOs include:

Destinations

Cathay Pacific serves 83 destinations (including cargo), but not including codeshare in 46 countries and territories on five continents, with a well-developed Asian network. The airline serves many gateway cities in North America and Europe, with easy connections with its Oneworld and codeshare partners, American Airlines and British Airways via Los Angeles and London, respectively. Also, the airline serves ten French cities via a codeshare partnership with French national rail operator, SNCF, from Paris.

On 5 December 2024, it was reported that Cathay Pacific will launch two direct flights to Munich, Germany and Brussels, Belgium in the summer of 2025. Subsequently, Cathay Pacific will be introducing a new route between Hong Kong and Dallas/Fort Worth, to commence in April 2025. The route will mark the airline's longest route (7,058 nautical miles) and will be operated four times weekly on its Airbus A350-1000.

Joint Venture

Cathay Pacific has joint venture agreements with the following airlines:

Air China Cargo

Air New Zealand

Lufthansa Cargo

Swiss WorldCargo

Codeshare agreements

Cathay Pacific codeshares with the following subsidiary airlines:

Cathay Pacific also have codeshare agreements with two local ferry operators (Cotai Water Jet and Chu Kong Passenger Transport Co., Ltd) to connect passengers from Hong Kong to Macau, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the Greater Bay Area.

Fleet

Cathay Pacific operates a fleet of Airbus narrow-body aircraft and a mix of Airbus and Boeing wide-body aircraft. Its cargo division, Cathay Cargo, also operates a fleet of Boeing 747 freighters. Their main fleet consists of Airbus A321neo, Airbus A330, Airbus A350 and Boeing 777 aircraft, while their cargo division operates two models of the Boeing 747: 747-400ERF and 747-8F. They also have the Airbus A350F, the Airbus A330neo, and the Boeing 777X on order, of which the A350F is for its cargo division.

Services

Ground handling

Beginning in 2007, Cathay Pacific launched more methods to check in for flights. Among them were self-check-in using a kiosk at Hong Kong International Airport and other select destinations and checking in via a mobile phone. Cathay Pacific also launched a mobile application on App Store and Google Play, formerly named CX Mobile. Passengers can use the application to check flight arrivals and departures, check in for their flights and read about the destinations they are flying to using City Guides. The app has become a hit with passengers, making Cathay Pacific one of the industry leaders in offering mobile services to users of smartphones.

Cathay Pacific is also now following a trend among many airlines to improve its brand image to customers and shareholders with social media, and is ranked fourth worldwide. The airline now uses a range of social media tools including Facebook, Flickr, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and blogging to share ideas with customers. In addition, it has launched a virtual tour to enable passengers to experience Cathay Pacific's new cabins and services without having to step aboard the aircraft.

On 4 January 2011, the cargo division of the airline, Cathay Pacific Cargo, became the first airline operating out of Hong Kong to fully switch to e-air waybill. This eliminates the need for all paper documents when issuing air waybills. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) selected nine countries and territories and airlines in which to run the e-AWB pilot program, including Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific.

Cabin

First Class is offered only on select Boeing 777-300ERs and features six seats in a 1-1-1 configuration. The first class seats can be converted into fully lie-flat beds measuring 36 in × 81 in (91 cm × 206 cm). The seats include a massage function, a personal closet, an ottoman for stowage or guest seating, and adjustable 18.5 in (47 cm), HD personal televisions (PTV). First class passengers may use Oneworld or Cathay Pacific first class lounges at their departure airport.

Business Class is offered on all internationally configured aircraft. It is available on all Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as select Airbus A330-300s. Cathay Pacific introduced a new business class seat in 2011, featuring reverse herringbone seating in a 1-2-1 configuration. Each seat converts into a fully flat bed of length 82 inches (210 cm), with a width of up to 21 inches (53 cm). Each seat features a small, enclosed side cabinet, and an adjustable 18.5 in (47 cm) personal television. In 2016, upon delivery of brand new Airbus A350s, Cathay Pacific introduced a refreshed reverse herringbone seat designed by Porsche Design, with HD personal televisions and additional enclosed storage space on the side. In 2023, Cathay Pacific announced their "Aria Suite". Cathay Pacific has been installing the Aria Suite on their Boeing 777-300ERs since 2024.

Business Class is offered on all regionally configured aircraft. It is available on all Airbus A321neo and Boeing 777-300s as well as selected Airbus A330-300s. Seats have 21 in (53 cm) width and recline to 47 in (120 cm) of pitch and feature electrical recline and leg rest. A 12 in (30 cm) PTV is located in the seat back offers AVOD. In 2021, the airline has updated the cabin with a new seat on the Airbus A321neo, featuring a new design with hard-shell recliner seats that incorporate divider screens and a 15.6-inch PTV.

All Business Class passengers are allowed to use Oneworld or Cathay Pacific business class lounges prior to departure.

Premium Economy is offered on all Airbus A350s and Boeing 777-300ERs, as well as selected Airbus A330-300s. Cathay Pacific introduced a premium economy class in March 2012. The seat pitch is 38 inches – six inches more than Economy Class – and the seat itself is wider and have a bigger recline. It has a large meal table, cocktail table, footrest, a 10.6-inch personal television, an in-seat power outlet, a multi-port connector for personal devices, and extra personal storage space. The Premium Economy Class seat offers a higher level of comfort with more living space in a separate cabin before the Economy Class zone.

Catering

Food and beverages are complimentary on all flights, with two hot meals generally served on each flight for long haul flights, along with free alcoholic beverages. Foods served on flights from Hong Kong are provided by Cathay Pacific Catering Services (CPCS) facilities in Hong Kong. CLS Catering Services Limited, a joint venture with LSG Sky Chefs, provides inflight catering from Toronto and Vancouver airports; while Vietnam Air Caterers, a joint venture between CPCS and Vietnam Airlines, provides the same for flights from Ho Chi Minh City. Meals on Manila–Hong Kong flights are typically served in snack bags as complimentary snacks and drinks.

In-flight entertainment

The first type is the StudioCX system that was launched in 2012. Now, it can only be found in unrefurbished A330s. The old system features movies, TV, music, inflight map and some games. The system is identical to Cathay Dragon's Entertainment (StudioKA).

In 2016, following the new A350-900, Cathay Pacific launched the new entertainment system. The new system features a brand new, modern and lighter design. There are lots of new content from the old system, following a new moving map (rather than the stuck map from the StudioCX system), live TV, reading materials, magazines, news, shopping, Sports24 (only on A350) and more movies. Resolution is 4K on A321s. In 2017, the introduction for StudioCX was updated.

StudioCX, Cathay Pacific's in-flight entertainment system, equipped with personal televisions in every seat, offers movies, Asian and Western TV programs, music and games. The airline also provides a range of different newspapers and magazines from around the world, including the airline's in-flight magazine Discovery (now Cathay). Passengers with visual impairment can request for Hong Kong's South China Morning Post in Braille to be available on board.

StudioCX provides Audio/Video on Demand (AVOD) for every passenger and offers up to 100 movies, 350 TV programs, about 1000 CD albums in 25 different genres, 25 radio channels and more than 70 interactive games.

Awards and recognitions

On 24 June 2024, Cathay Pacific was voted 2024 World's Best Economy Class by Skytrax.

Accidents and incidents

Cathay Pacific has had some incidents and accidents over its history, although none have resulted in a hull loss or loss of life since 1972. Cathay Pacific is generally regarded to have a good safety reputation and has been rated as one of the world's safest airlines.

On 16 July 1948, Miss Macao, a Cathay Pacific-subsidiary-operated Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina from Macau to Hong Kong was hijacked by four men, who killed the pilot after take-off. The aircraft crashed in the Pearl River Delta near Zhuhai. Twenty-six people died, leaving only one survivor, a hijacker. This was the first hijacking of a commercial airliner in the world.

On 24 February 1949, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-47 Skytrain from Manila to Hong Kong crashed near Braemar Reservoir after a go-around in poor weather. All 23 people on board died.

On 13 September 1949, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-47 Skytrain departing from Anisakan, Burma crashed on take-off when the right-hand main gear leg collapsed. There were no reported fatalities.

On 23 July 1954, a Cathay Pacific Douglas C-54 Skymaster from Bangkok to Hong Kong was shot down by aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force in the South China Sea near Hainan Island. Ten people died, leaving nine survivors. After the incident, Cathay Pacific received an apology and compensation from the People's Liberation Army Air Force. It was apparently mistaken for a Nationalist Chinese military aircraft.

On 5 November 1967, Cathay Pacific Flight 033, operated by a Convair 880 from Hong Kong to Saigon, overran the runway at Kai Tak Airport. One person was killed and the aircraft was written off.

On 15 June 1972, Cathay Pacific Flight 700Z, operated by a Convair 880 from Bangkok to Hong Kong, disintegrated and crashed while the aircraft was flying at 29,000 feet (8,800 m) over Pleiku, Vietnam after a bomb exploded in a suitcase placed under a seat in the cabin, killing all 81 people on board. This remains the last Cathay Pacific incident to involve a total hull loss and passenger fatalities.