Cathay Pacific welcomed the launch of its new non-stop flights between Hong Kong and Munich today, marking the first time the airline has directly connected its home hub to the Bavarian capital. These flights further bolster Cathay Pacific’s presence in Europe, coming shortly after the launch of its seasonal flights to Rome on 5 June and ahead of its return to Brussels on 3 August.
Together with low-cost carrier HK Express, Cathay Pacific continues to launch passenger services to more destinations around the world. The Cathay Group has now reached 100 passenger destinations worldwide, providing customers with more connectivity and choices when they travel.
Cathay Pacific takes off from Hong Kong to Munich for the first time, further expanding the airline’s Europe footprint with close to 100 return flights per week to the continent this summer.
The two airlines are adding a total of 18 destinations to their combined passenger network in 2025, with more announcements still to come. This month alone, Cathay Pacific has launched services to Rome and Munich, and HK Express has launched flights to Cheongju and Daegu, with Miyako (Shimojishima) coming next week.
Cathay Chief Customer and Commercial Officer Lavinia Lau said: “We are very pleased to welcome Munich into our global network for the first time, offering customers a direct connection between Hong Kong and a key economic, manufacturing and transportation hub in Europe. Customers can explore Munich’s diverse blend of culture, art and innovation, or connect to a wide range of onward destinations in Europe through our codeshare partners.
Cathay Pacific takes off from Hong Kong to Munich for the first time, further expanding the airline’s Europe footprint with close to 100 return flights per week to the continent this summer.
“Meanwhile, customers travelling to Hong Kong can connect to the Cathay Group’s extensive passenger network via our home hub, which now covers 100 destinations worldwide. This global connectivity reinforces Hong Kong’s status as a leading international aviation hub and a premier gateway linking the Chinese Mainland and the world. As we grow and expand, we remain focused on adding more flights and destinations for our customers and providing them with a seamless journey.“Cathay Pacific’s flights between Hong Kong and Munich are operated using its modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft, providing customers with fully flat beds in Business, spacious seats in Premium Economy, and comfort in Economy cabins.The flight schedule is as follows (all times local):
Together with the airline’s Brussels service to be introduced in August, Cathay Pacific will operate close to 100 return flights per week to 12 destinations in Europe during this year’s summer peak, including Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels,Frankfurt, London Heathrow, Madrid, Manchester, Milan, Munich, Paris, Rome and Zurich.
In addition to Cathay Pacific’s passenger services, Cathay Cargo plans to operate seven freighter flights per week to and from Europe in summer 2025.
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25
The Government today (January 8) reminded members of the public that, starting from January 25, all public transport and commercial vehicles' seated passengers must wear seat belts, and all drivers must not place more than two mobile telecommunications devices (MTDs) in front of them during driving, further enhancing road, passenger and driving safety.
All passenger's seats in public and private buses, rear passenger's seats in private light buses and goods vehicles (GVs), and driver's seats and all passenger's seats of special purpose vehicles (SPVs) must be equipped with seat belts in these vehicles first registered on or after January 25. Drivers and passengers occupying the seats of these vehicles (whether newly registered or not), where seat belts are fitted, are required to wear them. Studies show that wearing seat belts will reduce the risk of death and serious injury of drivers and passengers in head-on collisions by about 40 per cent and 70 per cent respectively.
Offending vehicle owners, drivers or passengers will be liable to a maximum fine of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to three months. All passengers occupying seats shall be responsible for wearing seat belts. Among them, any driver who still drives with a passenger aged under 15 seated in the rear seat of a GV or the passenger's seat of an SPV without wearing a seat belt will be subject to a maximum fine of $2,000.
The Government noted that the transport trades are ready for the new requirements. In franchised buses, all seats in newly procured buses have been equipped with seat belts. Together with existing double-deck buses retrofitted with seat belts on the upper-deck seats by operators under government subsidy, to date, around 3500 buses are now equipped with seat belts, representing about 60 per cent of the entire fleet in Hong Kong.
In addition, from the same day onwards, any driver must not place more than two MTDs (i.e. mobile phones, tablet computers or laptop computers) in front of them during driving. The diagonal length of each screen must not exceed 19 centimetres. The MTDs must not obstruct the driver's view of the road and traffic, as well as any mirror, device or camera-monitor fitted for viewing the roads. Offenders will be liable to a maximum fine of $2,000.
The Government has stepped up publicity and public education since November 2025. The Transport Department (TD) has strengthened collaboration with the Police, the Education Bureau, the Information Services Department, the Road Safety Council and the transport trades including public transport operators to introduce the legal requirements through websites, videos, media, social media, the "e-Bulletin for Parents" and publicity posters on traffic signal controllers across various districts. Franchised bus operators have also strengthened publicity and broadcast inside compartments and at bus stops to alert passengers to the new requirement of wearing seat belts.
Members of the public may refer to the TD's webpage on the new requirements on seat belts (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/sb) and placing MTDs during driving (www.td.gov.hk/en/road_safety/mtd) or the Agent T Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AgentT.hk), or call the hotline 28042600 for details.
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
New requirements for mandatory fitting and wearing of seat belts and placing of mobile telecommunications devices while driving to be implemented from January 25 Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
