Cathay Pacific to launch new service to Jeddah, its second destination in Saudi Arabia

The four-times-weekly service will operate through Dubai on the way to and from Hong Kong.

The new service, to be operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft in a two-class configuration, will increase the airline's presence in the increasingly important Middle Eastern market, connecting business and leisure passengers to Cathay Pacific's extensive international network through the Hong Kong hub.

Cathay Pacific launched its service to the Saudi Arabia capital, Riyadh, in 2001 and the number of flights per week to and from that city was recently increased from five times a week to daily in response to sustained demand. The new service to Jeddah, located in the west of the country on the coast of the Red Sea, will offer Saudi Arabian travelers more flexibility and convenience when travelling to the Far East and beyond.

Jeddah will become Cathay Pacific's 46th online passenger destination when flights begin and will mark the airline's latest destination launch since Chennai in June 2008.

Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Development Ian Shiu said:

"We are pleased to be able to add Jeddah to our extensive worldwide network. Demand to and from Saudi Arabia, and the Middle East in general, has held up remarkably well despite the impact of the current global economic downturn. We expect a good response to the launch of our latest destination."

Cathay Pacific Airways Country Manager Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Offline Middle East Daniel Cheung added: "We have maintained our Middle East network integrity during the current downturn though overall capacity has been reduced and services have been adjusted according to demand."