Cathay Pacific to boost cargo carrying capacity in Asia

The airline is also looking forward to enhance its cargo capacity with 10 new generation Boeing 747-8 freighter aircraft to begin operations during this year. The airline currently has 25 freighters in its fleet and carries two-way cargo from big Indian airports like Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and prominent foreign destinations in Asia like Dhaka, Dubai, Osaka, Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai.

"The airline has grown to become one of the world's top ten international air-cargo carriers. The airline is also planning to expand the service options to cater to large number of businesses and customers in the Asian and Indian region," an airline source said.

The tie-up with the Air China Cargo Company (ACC) would help the airline move forward on this front and enhance competition in the region, they said. The airline has also launched a series of new innovative schemes to attract passengers. For fliers, who want to air-dash over the world on a free ticket for 80 days, the airline has brought a contest.

The contestants would have to video capture their imagination on how would they like to spend this quarter year of their life and put the short clip on Cathay's Facebook page by March six.

For the winner of this contest, the airline will sponsor three-night hotel accommodation at each destination and a daily allowance of upto 2800 Hong Kong Dollars (HKD) per trip including an insurance cover.

"All that you are expected to do is upload your short video, photo or a story on Cathay Pacific's Facebook. You could be the lucky one to travel around the world for 80 days on Cathay Pacific network, unlimited round-trip economy class tickets from Hong Kong to any destination of your choice," an airline spokesperson said.

Contestants aged 18 years and above from India, Canada Australia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States can participate in the contest.

After viewing all the entries, the airline will shortlist a total of eight entrants and invite them to Hong Kong -- sponsoring their airfares and accommodation -- for a final panel interview and a one-day challenge in April.

Cathay's General Manager (India, Middle East, Africa and Pakistan) Tom Wright said "we are very excited about launching this unique concept. Social network sites are an increasingly important tool through which we can engage with our customers."