Dragonair has officially been rebranded as Cathay Dragon, bringing the airline closer to Cathay Pacific in a launch that will provide customers with a more seamless travel experience across the airlines’ respective regional and international networks.

At an unveiling ceremony at the newly-named Cathay Dragon House, the airline’s headquarters in Hong Kong, Cathay Dragon chief executive Algernon Yau said: “This is a momentous day in the history of Cathay Dragon and I am excited about the future of the airline and the fresh opportunities that our rebranding brings.

“As we align more closely with Cathay Pacific, new prospects will open up on multiple fronts enabling us to become stronger and thrive in this intensely competitive industry.”

The airline’s customers also joined in the launch celebration at a separate event at Hong Kong International Airport, which involved Cathay Dragon pilots, cabin crew and ground staff at a specially-arranged ceremony.

The Dragonair-to-Cathay Dragon brand conversion process started earlier this year following an initial rebranding announcement in January.

The most visible change to date, which has received an overwhelmingly positive response from passengers, has been the progressive introduction of the new Cathay Dragon livery, which includes the iconic Cathay ‘brushwing’ logo, serving as a strong visual association to the integrated airline group that offers an expansive regional and international network.

The rebranding, however, encompasses far more than simply a new name and look.

It will introduce both airlines to a wider audience, from the growing inflow of overseas passengers who are more familiar with the Cathay Pacific brand, to the increasingly large numbers of Cathay Dragon passengers from Mainland China who seek the convenience and assurance of an internationally-recognised premium airline with global connectivity.

From today, passengers will be greeted with the new Cathay Dragon identity at check-in desks, boarding gates and lounges across the airlines’ networks, from crew uniforms to boarding passes.

The airline’s website will become fully integrated into a single shared website with Cathay Pacific in early 2017.

Cathay Dragon, which operates a fleet of 42 passenger aircraft serving 52 destinations, has earned a well-deserved reputation built on its distinctive Chinese culture and hospitality.

And while the rebranding brings many new benefits to its customers, the airline will retain its contemporary Chinese character. This especially applies to the cuisine it serves.