Dragonair, Hong Kong Dragon AirlinesKA

Cathay Dragon ceased all operations on October 21, 2020, as part of Cathay Pacific Group's COVID-19 restructuring. All routes were absorbed by Cathay Pacific (CX). This guide provides historical information about the airline.

Cathay Dragon, formerly known as Dragonair, was Hong Kong's second largest airline and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cathay Pacific Airways. The airline specialized in regional services to mainland China and destinations across Asia, operating as the Cathay Pacific Group's regional carrier.

Founded in 1985 as Dragonair, the airline grew to become Hong Kong's primary link to secondary Chinese cities and regional Asian destinations. After acquisition by Cathay Pacific in 2006, it operated as Cathay Pacific's regional arm, eventually rebranding from Dragonair to Cathay Dragon in 2016.

At its peak, Cathay Dragon operated a fleet of approximately 48 aircraft to over 50 destinations, carrying around 10 million passengers annually. The airline was an affiliate member of Oneworld alliance through its parent company Cathay Pacific, allowing passengers to earn and redeem Asia Miles and access alliance benefits.

The airline's sudden closure in October 2020 marked the end of 35 years of operations, with approximately 2,400 staff facing redundancy as Cathay Pacific Group eliminated 5,900 positions in response to the pandemic's impact on travel demand.