Mable Chan uses Qatar Airways cargo office opening to drop Central Asia route reveal

Qatar Airways has opened a new regional cargo office in Hong Kong, with the city's transport minister, Mable Chan, hinting at the airline's plans to launch direct flights to Central Asia. The opening ceremony witnessed a memorandum of understanding signed between Qatar Airways and the Airport Authority. Chan suggested that the local carrier would announce the new route on Thursday, expanding Hong Kong's flight network to Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty.

The announcement is expected to be made by Cathay Pacific Airways, which plans to launch the route in the first quarter of next year with three weekly flights by an Airbus A330-300. Chan praised Qatar Airways' strategic move, describing its alliance with the Airport Authority as "powerful" and highlighting the collaboration between the world's busiest cargo airport and a leading global carrier.

The partnership aims to foster greater synergies in promoting seamless global cargo flows and cooperative efforts in operational excellence, service enhancement, sustainability, and talent development. Hong Kong reaffirmed its commitment to expanding commercial ties with Central Asia, with the Civil Aviation Department extending exemption measures for non-scheduled cargo flights and encouraging airlines to add scheduled cargo services and new freight routes.

In 2025, Hong Kong was ranked the busiest cargo airport, handling 5.07 million tonnes of cargo, marking a 2.7% growth from 4.9 million tonnes in 2024.