Cathay Pacific to resume flights to Adelaide after five years

On May 22nd this year, Cathay Pacific announced that they will resume flights to Adelaide from November this year.

A Cathay Pacific Airbus A350-1000, similar to the aircraft the airline will fly to Adelaide | Photo: Noah Stohr-Waldren

Cathay Pacific previously flew to the city but had to cut the route five years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reinstated flights will begin on November 11th 2025. The flights will operate on a seasonal basis until 27 March 2026.

The 6,810 km flights from Hong Kong to Adelaide will operate three times per week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. The return flight from Adelaide will then depart back for Hong Kong on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

The new flight schedules will see Cathay Pacific flight CX173 depart Hong Kong at 23:30, arriving in Adelaide at 10:30 the following day. The return flights will depart Adelaide as CX174 at 12:00, landing back in Hong Kong at 17:40 the same day. All flights remain subject to regulatory approval.

Cathay Pacific will utilize its modern fleet of Airbus A350-900s on the route.

Cathay Pacific’s resumption completes the return of all pre-pandemic international routes to the city.

Frosti Lau, Cathay Pacific’s Regional General Manager for the South West Pacific, shared his excitement about the airline’s return to Adelaide, noting a long history with the city and the region.

“We launched our first flight to the city over 30 years ago, and this was closely followed by our first group of cadet pilots entering Flight Training Adelaide,” Lau said. He described the new seasonal flights as opening up opportunities for residents and visitors alike to explore Hong Kong and destinations beyond, for leisure, business, or to reconnect with home.