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How it all started

Cathay Pacific Airways was founded in Hong Kong on September 24, 1946 by American Roy Farrell and Australian Sydney de Kantzow, both ex-air force pilots familiar with the route over the Himalayan Mountains, who each put up HK$1 to register the airline. Both men were based in Shanghai, but eventually moved to Hong Kong to start up a new carrier in Cathay Pacific. According to legend, the airline was conceived by Farrell and some foreign correspondents at the bar of the Manila Hotel.

They named it "Cathay" since it was an ancient name given to China, and "Pacific" because they believed that they would one day fly across the Pacific to the US. On Cathay Pacific's maiden voyage, Roy Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow flew from Hong Kong to Manila, and later on to Shanghai. They had a single Douglas C-47. The company initially flew routes between Hong Kong, Sydney, Manila, Singapore, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, while scheduled service was limited to Manila, Singapore and Bangkok only.

Flight Details

  • Boeing B 747 - 400
    • Route: Vancouver - New York & retour
    • Date: 12 May & 20 May 2007
    • Time: 5h & 5h:40m