Cathay Cargo launched of its first marketing campaign, “We Know How”, with a special ceremony held at Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited’s (HAECO) hangar facility at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) on 21 June. The event also formally introduced the newly rebranded Cathay Cargo with the first Cathay Cargo Boeing 747-8F to receive the new livery making a giant and dramatic backdrop for the occasion.

Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam hosted the event and its guests of honour, including Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mr Lam Sai-hung, Director-General of Civil Aviation Mr Victor Liu Chi-yung from the Civil Aviation Department (CAD), and Airport Authority Hong Kong Chief Executive Officer Mr Fred Lam Tin-fuk.

The campaign comes at a time when Cathay Cargo is developing links in its extended home market of the Greater Bay Area (GBA), just ahead of the forthcoming Three-Runway System at Hong Kong International Airport, which will become fully operational in late 2024.

In his speech, Secretary for Transport and Logistics Mr Lam Sai-hung referenced the collaborative work between Cathay Cargo and the Airport Authority Hong Kong’s new HKIA Logistics Park in Dongguan. This new facility despatches built-up and screened cargo from the heart of the GBA direct to Hong Kong International Airport by ship.

Secretary Lam said: “We appreciate a lot Cathay's unwavering support for this project, with Cathay Cargo and the Cathay Cargo Terminal being the first carrier and the first cargo terminal operator respectively to handle cargo shipments under this innovative model. We trust that this additional mode will open up tremendous opportunities for both Cathay Cargo and our airport, helping both to enlarge catchment in the huge market of the GBA and reinforcing our strength as the leading air cargo and logistics hub.”

Cathay Group Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam highlighted the key role cargo plays in the growth and development of both the Group and the Hong Kong international aviation hub. He said: “Cargo has always been an important of part our business. It’s an integral part of our heritage, and of Hong Kong as a centre for global trade.

“In recent times, it offered the Cathay Group a financial lifeline, but it was a real-world lifeline, too. We delivered essential vaccines and fresh food to Hong Kong. We helped to keep trade moving across the world and through our hub. I look forward to Cathay Cargo’s future as a vital part of our Cathay brand, and a key contributor to Hong Kong’s future growth and development.”

As the first marketing campaign following the rebrand of Cathay Cargo earlier this year, “We Know How” focuses on the innovation, people, solutions and service – as well as the “magic” – that are central to Cathay Cargo.

Director Cargo Tom Owen said: “Our brand combines innovation, people, solutions and service. Combined with our freighter fleet, our rebuilding passenger cargo belly network and Hong Kong’s logistics capabilities, we have the quality and expertise needed to thrive in all market conditions.

“We are investing in our brand so that we can continue to grow and build on Hong Kong’s position as the leading air cargo hub. Our brand displays the pride in our achievements, but also our ambitions to move forward – and our optimism for the future of air cargo and our home of Hong Kong.”

The campaign includes Cathay Cargo’s first video advertisement and a series of posters that will appear in Hong Kong Station on the MTR. The ad and posters, shown for the first time at the event, reflect the range of shipments carried as air cargo and that need specialist handling.

General Manager Brand, Insights and Marketing Communications Edward Bell said: “Any shipment on a Cathay Cargo plane matters. It’s going somewhere because it’s needed quickly, or because it needs the protection and assurance of our specialist handling. There is a story behind each shipment that speaks to the magic of the goods we fly, and their importance to the people who receive them.

“‘We Know How’ is a privileged peek into the inner sanctum of our freighters and a chance to experience the expertise of our people and the technology they use to ensure every shipment arrives quickly and in perfect condition.”