Cathay Pacific Airways will launch daily nonstop passenger service from Chicago’s O’Hare Airport to Hong Kong on Sept. 1, 2011. Chicago will become only the fourth United States market to get Cathay service, as well as the first new United States market added to its route system since 1998, and the first in the nation’s heartland. Cathay currently operates non-stop service from New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles to Hong Kong.
Headquartered in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific is a member of the One World airline alliance along with American Airlines, British Airways and several other international carriers. The addition of Cathay’s Hong Kong flights at O’Hare will allow One World member carriers to book their Chicago passengers bound for Hong Kong on an alliance member carrier. Cathay said it would announce details of a flight codeshare agreement with American Airlines in the near future. Currently, only United Airlines, a member of the competing Star Alliance consortium of carriers, offers daily non-stop service from O’Hare to Hong Kong.
Speaking of Cathay’s decision to add flight from Chicago, Mayor Richard M. Daley said: “We’ve worked hard to attract new business and industries to Chicago, and our position as a transportation hub and our efforts to rebound from global recession are being noticed on an international level.As Hong Kong’s home carrier, we are pleased to link these two great cities together to meeet the demand for both business and leisure travel,added Cathay Pacific CEO Tony Tyler.

The announcement of Cathay’s new Chicago service also coincided with the unveiling Tuesday in Hong Kong of the carrier’s latest business class seat and new uniforms for cabin crew and customer service agents that will be rolled out starting early next year. A Cathay spokesman said the new enhancements are expected to be on aircraft servicing the Chicago-Hong Kong route. Cathay plans to operate a Boeing 777-300 extended range aircraft with first, business and economy cabins on the route.The Cathay spokesman also said the carrier plans to hire Chicago-based sales and airport services staff to support its new operations from the city.