Cathay Pacific is returning to Rome for the first time in almost four decades, with the announcement of three weekly flights between Hong Kong and the Italian capital, commencing on 5 June 2025. The addition of Rome to the airline’s routes means the Hong Kong flag carrier now flies to a total of 12 European cities and is on its way to reaching 100 destinations worldwide by the end of the year.
Rome is the second Italian city to be served by Cathay Pacific after Milan, which will also see an increase in the airline’s schedule from five times a week to daily flights later this year. Meanwhile, the Rome flights will operate on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, aboard an Airbus A350-900, and flyers can choose between Business cabins with flatbeds, Premium Economy, and Economy accommodation.
Rome route coincides with Jubilee Year
“Cathay Pacific’s relationship with Italy goes back almost 40 years. Cathay Pacific first launched direct flights between Hong Kong and Rome in 1986. We know that our customers have been eagerly awaiting the return of this route and we are delighted to reintroduce flights to and from the Italian capital this summer,” said Cathay Pacific’s President in a statement:
That’s right, the route is scheduled to launch in the middle of what will be a so-called “Jubilee Year” for Rome, an event bound to bring Roman Catholics from around the world on pilgrimage to the Eternal City. By the end of 2025, Cathay Pacific will have added a flurry of six further routes, including to Hyderabad from March, to Dallas from April, services to Munich and Rome from June, with the European capital Brussels served from August onwards.
Extensive Asia-Pacific network
Heading in the opposite direction, Cathay Pacific will be aiming to carry Asia-Pacific-curious travellers into the heart of its region, and onwards. Hong Kong’s importance as an international aviation hub was high on the agenda as Cathay Pacific made the announcement, with its Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau pressing home the point: “We are thrilled to reconnect Hong Kong and Rome, offering our customers exceptional service and seamless connections across our extensive Asia-Pacific network, including 19 destinations in Mainland China.”
In addition to the routes mentioned above, and riding the wave of Japan’s surging popularity with international visitors, the airline’s low-cost subsidiary HK Express has already begun flying to Sendai, once considered one of Japan’s greenest cities and nicknamed The City of Trees.
