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Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong's largest airline, is bullish that demand from the Chinese mainland for leisure and business travel will fuel its growth in the coming years, said Titus Diu, its general manager for the Chinese mainland market. "The Chinese mainland is a huge market that has grown rapidly, and more travel demand has emerged from second-and third-tier cities. Launching new direct flights that connect those cities and Hong Kong will help Hong Kong to strengthen its edge as an important international hub in Asia." In the first six months of this year, the revenue passenger kilometers of Cathay Pacific in the Chinese mainland reached 4.6 billion, an increase of 3.2% over the same period of last year. Cathay Pacific and its affiliate Cathay Dragon have launched more than 30 flights connecting China and countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Cathay's footprint now covers the Middle East, India and Europe. This year, it will continue to strengthen its Belt and Road footprint. On Oct 28 and 29, Cathay Dragon will launch direct flights from Hong Kong to emerging ASEAN cities like Davao in the Philippines, and Medan in Indonesia. Between the coming November and February next year, it will start operating seasonal flights between Hong Kong and Cape Town of South Africa.
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