Cathay Pacific Airways is launching four major initiatives to tie in with Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department-led celebrations to mark the 100th anniversary of aviation development in Hong Kong.

(Caption: Mr Tony Tyler, Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific (right 2), Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs (middle) and Mr Norman Lo, Director-General Civil Aviation (left 2) reveal the Boeing 747-400 aircraft which carries the special 100th anniversary logo designed by the Civil Aviation Department. )

The airline will be giving away 1,800 free tickets to the Hong Kong public, inviting them to submit their thoughts on how air transport connects their home city with the world, and will also launch a special fare promotion covering more than 20 destinations with fares as low as HK$990. In addition, the carrier will run an aviation knowledge contest for students in Hong Kong, offering a unique delivery flight trip as a reward, and a special 100th Anniversary logo will go onto one of Cathay Pacific’s passenger aircraft.

Cathay Pacific Chief Executive Tony Tyler unveiled the special activities today together with officiating guests Ms Florence Hui, Under Secretary for Home Affairs, and Mr Norman Lo, Director-General Civil Aviation.

Speaking at the press launch, Mr Tyler said: “Over the past 64 years, Cathay Pacific has played an important role in the growth of Hong Kong’s aviation industry, and we are proud to launch these four initiatives to celebrate this important milestone in the city’s aviation development. As Hong Kong’s home carrier, Cathay Pacific is committed to the continued development of Hong Kong as one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, and we are pleased to be able to share in the anniversary celebrations with the public and our passengers.”

Under Secretary for Home Affairs Florence Hui said “We are honoured to support Cathay Pacific in organising the ‘Connecting Your World’ campaign, which is being run as part of our own ‘Get into Discovery’ campaign.’Get into Discovery’ is one of the four core elements of the ‘Vibrant People, Harmonious Community Activities’ programme launched by the Home Affairs Bureau and the Home Affairs Department. We need to work with other organisations to sustain the momentum of this programme and we are happy to have Cathay Pacific as our valuable partner.”

Director-General Civil Aviation Norman Lo said “We have the best airlines, the best airport, outstanding aircraft maintenance organisations and a very safe and efficient air traffic management system. These achievements should be attributed to our bold predecessors and every hard-working individuals serving in the industry. We are very grateful that Cathay Pacific gives their unfailing support to the organising of the celebratory programmes. The special campaign initiated by Cathay Pacific proves its commitment and dedication in serving Hong Kong’s community.” To mark Hong Kong’s aviation anniversary, Cathay Pacific is joining with sister airline Dragonair to launch one of the biggest fare promotions in town, covering more than 20 favourite regional and long-haul destinations. The two airlines have allocated 50,000 round-trip tickets for this promotion, which will run from 5 March to 11 March, with the lowest fares starting at just HK$990. Booking and fare details will be available at www.cathaypacific.com and www.dragonair.com from midnight on 4 March. Every 100th passenger making a booking through these websites will win cash vouchers equivalent in value to the airfare purchased to redeem for their next flight.

Cathay Pacific is launching the “Connecting Your World” competition as part of the Home Affairs Department’s ongoing “Get Into Discovery” campaign, giving away 1,800 tickets to the Hong Kong public. The competition will be organized on a district basis and entries can be submitted online starting in April. The competition is open to all Hong Kong residents aged 16 and above. Participants can submit their entries online in video, photo, graphic illustration or written form on the subject of how air transport connects Hong Kong with the world, from the basic necessities of life to job creation, business opportunities, and building a bridge between people, places and cultures.

One-hundred tickets will be given out to residents of each of Hong Kong’s 18 districts. Each district will select the best 50 entries with a panel of judges made up of District Council representatives, a creative professional and a Cathay Pacific representative. The Champion in each district will win two Economy Class return tickets to any long-haul destination served by Cathay Pacific. The other 49 winners from each district will each get two Economy Class return tickets to any of the airline’s regional destinations. In total, 900 winners will be selected from the 18 districts, each getting two return tickets. More details on how to enter the “Connecting Your World” competition will be announced soon.

The Cathay Pacific Aviation Knowledge Contest is being jointly organised with the Hong Kong Civil Aviation Department and the Hong Kong Air Cadet Corps for all local secondary school students in Hong Kong. From 5 March, the public will be engaged through a special Facebook page, www.facebook.com/100cxcontest, featuring fun quizzes and games. In July, teams from local secondary schools will compete against each other in a live aviation quiz, with the winning team being flown to either the Airbus factory in France or the Boeing factory in the United States to join the delivery of a brand-new aircraft. Details of the contest will be made available on the Facebook page.

Finally, Cathay Pacific will show its commitment to honouring Hong Kong’s aviation anniversary by placing a specially designed commemorative logo by Civil Aviation Department on one of its Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The same aircraft will be used in one of the major events being organised by the Civil Aviation Department to mark the centenary – the Aircraft Pull on 17 March where more than 300 pullers will aim to break a Guinness World Record by manually pulling four aircraft simultaneously. This special Jumbo will fly on Cathay Pacific’s long haul routes and help carry the celebration to other parts of the world.