Cathay Pacific in China

[Richard]

Well, the two Hong Kong-based airlines Cathay Pacific (CX) and Dragonair (KA) have been duking it out in the courts over CX's flying rights to China. KA, is currently the only HK-based carrier that flies to China. CX now wants to fly a couple of daily services to Beijing and Shanghai. KA doesn't want this to happen. This being for obvious reasons, CX is a much better airline and it's almost certain that they'd earn big bucks if they were to get flying rights. This could potentially threaten KA.

CX has a 13 percent stake in KA (I think) and in 2002 CX made a very handsome net profit.

Well what are your views?

C'mon Indian Airlines, Geoffrey, and hkgspotter among others....You hafta have some opinion on this....

[indian airlines]

Definitely Cathay. They are a superb airline. They were voted best airline of the year this year. They are definitely more capable of providing better service to passengers travelling into mainland China.

I think Cathay has also been partially foolish. Thay had monopoly over air transport to China, before thay gave it up to DragonAir. Why did they do that??? It was a bad move on their part.

Anyway, what has happened has happened; now Cathay should be allowed to resume flights to mainland China, alongside DragonAir if need be.