Vice Mayor Al-ag receives model airplane from Commercial Officer Paul Loo. (Jojie Alcantara)
Vice Mayor Al-ag receives model airplane from Commercial Officer Paul Loo. (Jojie Alcantara)

Alcantara: Cathay Pacific brings Davao closer to Hong Kong, world

THE Cathay Pacific Group successfully launched its first flight service between Hong Kong and Davao City on October 28, 2018 at the Davao International Airport.

Its regional airline, Cathay Dragon, provides customers from Mindanao more options in connecting to over 200 destinations through its airlines’ hub.

The ceremonial program in the airport was attended by Davao City Vice Mayor Bernard Al-ag on behalf of Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, media representatives from Cebu and Davao, and Cathay Pacific officers led by its Chief Customer and Commercial Officer, Paul Loo.

In his opening remark, Loo hopes that the new route makes it easier for people from all over to discover the beauty and potential of Mindanao. He also announced eight additional flights during the peak holiday season from December to January, mentioning that Filipinos prefer to visit Hong Kong during the cooler winter season.

In an early interview with Cathay Pacific Country Manager Philippines Rob Bradshaw, he states, “From the very first operations of Cathay Pacific we’ve been flying to the Philippines which has been a very important market for us. We have always been looking to grow our presence here. We’re now seven times a day into Manila, double daily into Cebu, and daily into Clark.”

The Cathay Pacific Group has been serving the Philippines since 1946, Cathay Pacific’s inaugural year of operations. Davao City is now its fourth destination in the country, adding existing services to Manila, Cebu and Clark.

“We know that lots of people in Davao and Mindanao have to transit via Cebu or Manila in order to get into our network, to HongKong and the rest of the world. There are other international options, but HongKong is a favorite destination, and our network being only a few hours away from Davao is perfectly placed to allow Dabawenyos and Mindanaoans to access traveling in an easier way. And I think the timing’s right because of the buzz around Davao, the investment and interest coming in here,” Bradshaw adds.

He further states that with their renowned signature service and convenient schedule, customers are assured of a premium experience when they travel.

In 2015, Cathay Pacific unveiled a concept that aims to set a refreshed quality for the Hong Kong airline. The tagline was called ‘Life Well Travelled’, a brand campaign that coaxes travelers, staff and social media influencers to share their real stories and travel experiences in a content hub, to show how one’s overall travel experiences can be more memorable, meaningful and rewarding.

Cathay Dragon flies in a direct flight four times weekly on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday (HKG-DVO 1235 – 1550; DVO-HKG 1650 – 2000). Additional flights are set on a Thursday from December to January.

Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon have been merged in Discovery (www.cathaypacific.com/discovery) – a new digital destination where travellers can access and enjoy content from the airlines’ leading inflight magazines, Discovery and Silkroad, globally.

Here you can find pages dedicated to traveling in the new destination, Davao, featuring articles and guidelines I was commissioned to write about my beloved city, with photos from Rhonson Ng and Julian Abram Wainwright, and published in Silkroad, September and October issues. (http://discovery.cathaypacific.com/davao/)

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(Jojie Alcantara, a columnist since 1994, writes for publications and blogs, travels and shoots, and gives workshops around the country. Visit www.kodakerdabawenya.com)

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