Hong Kong to Dallas, Nonstop: Cathay Pacific Touches Down in Texas

Nearly 80 years after a Texan helped launch an airline in Asia with a single aircraft, that same carrier is returning to his home state with a new, ultra-long-haul route. Cathay Pacific has officially launched non-stop service between Hong Kong (HKG) and Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW), making it the only airline to directly link Texas with Hong Kong and expanding Cathay’s reach into the southern U.S. market.

The new service, which starts with four weekly flights, also marks Cathay’s sixth passenger destination in the United States and its eighth in North America. At 8,123 miles, the route becomes the longest in the airline’s network, overtaking its flight to New York (JFK).

A Route Decades in the Making

Cathay Pacific’s roots are tightly intertwined with Texas. The airline was founded in 1946 by Roy C. Farrell, a native of Texas and a former U.S. Air Force pilot. His goal at the time? To fly essential goods across Asia—and eventually connect continents.

“From Cathay Pacific’s humble beginnings with a single plane to a world-leading airline group, we are proud of our visionary founders and the airline’s direct connection to Texas,” said Lavinia Lau, Cathay’s Chief Customer and Commercial Officer. “The launch of our first nonstop return route between Hong Kong and Dallas/Fort Worth is a symbolic homecoming and testament to the initial vision of Cathay Pacific Co-Founders Roy C. Farrell and Sydney de Kantzow.”

Photo: Courtesy of Cathay Pacific

For Farrell’s son, Roy Jr., the route is more than a business decision—it’s personal. “My father was fearless, dreamed ‘Texas big,’ and would let no obstacle stand in his way,” he said. “This final step of bringing Cathay Pacific home to Texas would surely make my father proud.”

Farrell Jr. added that his father always praised the airline’s growth after selling it to Swire Pacific in 1948, once remarking, “They’ve done a fine job raising my baby.”

Why Dallas, Why Now?

The addition of DFW to Cathay’s network is both a symbolic and strategic move. This airport is a major hub for American Airlines—Cathay’s oneworld partner—and a critical gateway to more than 190 domestic and 11 Latin American destinations.

Photo: American Airlines gates. Courtesy of Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

“DFW’s growth in passenger service also creates new ways of connecting people, cultures, and economies,” said DFW Airport CEO Sean Donohue. “We are excited to welcome Cathay Pacific and open a new nonstop gateway between Hong Kong and North Texas.”

Cathay Pacific is stepping into a gap left by American, which operated the route before suspending it in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of the route’s announcement, aviation analyst Gary Leff believed the timing was right. “Since American Airlines no longer flies to Hong Kong, and Dallas offers the greatest connectivity, this new flight seems like a strong bet as Cathay Pacific rebuilds its U.S. route network,” he said.

Flight Schedule and Aircraft

Cathay Pacific will operate the new route four times weekly—on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays—using its flagship Airbus A350-1000.

• CX876 departs Hong Kong at 4:05 PM and arrives in Dallas at 5:55 PM the same day.
• CX875 returns from Dallas at 10:55 PM, arriving in Hong Kong at 04:35 AM two days later, after a nearly 16-hour westbound flight.

Cathay’s A350-1000 offers a quieter cabin, lower cabin altitude, and fuel-efficient design—an important factor for one of the world’s longest flights.

Photo: Airbus A350-1000, Business Class. Courtesy of Cathay Pacific

However, the only drawback is that these aircraft do not feature Cathay Pacific’s latest business class cabin, the award-winning Aria Suite. This seat was introduced in Hong Kong in October and is only available on certain Boeing 777-300ERs operated by the airline.

A Broader North American Push

This latest route is part of a major expansion in North America. By May 2025, Cathay expects to operate 108 weekly return flights across the Pacific, offering three daily return flights to New York (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX), and San Francisco (SFO), along with daily service to Boston (BOS) and Chicago (ORD).

Graphic: Cathay Pacific U.S. network. Courtesy of greatcirclemap.com / Markus Englund

Additionally, the airline will provide 17 weekly return flights to Vancouver (YVR) and 18 weekly return flights to Toronto (YYZ), strengthening Cathay’s North American presence and bringing it closer to reaching 100 passenger destinations worldwide—a target the airline hopes to meet by 2025.

Closing the Loop

For an airline born of a dream to connect continents, the arrival in Dallas is a full-circle moment. What started with a war veteran and a single aircraft in the Pacific has now become a major global player—with Texas finally on the map.

As Roy Farrell Jr. puts it: “It is poetic that dad’s vision for an airline has become one of the most premier service brands in the world.”

Now, nearly eight decades after Cathay’s founding, his father’s dream of linking Asia and the U.S. has never felt more tangible.