Cathay Pacific Airways and its low-cost subsidiary HK Express are reducing flight capacity due to soaring jet fuel prices triggered by the Middle East war. Cathay will cancel about 2 percent of its passenger flights from May 16 to June 30, 2026, primarily on regional routes plus select services to Australia, South Asia, and South Africa.
HK Express faces steeper cuts, trimming 6 percent of its schedule from May 11 to June 30. The airlines described capacity reduction as a last resort after raising fuel surcharges and adjusting schedules failed to offset costs, with fuel now accounting for nearly 30 percent of operating expenses.
Affected passengers receive rebooking on flights within 24 hours of their original departure, with notifications issued by April 13. Cathay’s suspensions to Dubai and Riyadh remain in effect through June 30.
These moves highlight acute cost pressures on Asian carriers, as jet fuel prices have more than doubled since the conflict escalated. No further cuts are planned beyond June, though the airlines will monitor the volatile situation closely.