On July 17, Cathay Pacific Airways announced that it will further extend its freighter services in the important North American market by adding frequencies on its routes to Dallas, Texas and Atlanta, Georgia.

The service from Hong Kong to the two cities will move from four flights a week to six a week with effect from July 25 with new flights added every Wednesday and Friday. The service will become daily when another flight is added on Sundays from August 25. Cathay Pacific Boeing 747-400 Freighters will be used to operate all the flights.

Cathay Pacific launched its service to Dallas and Atlanta in November 2005 and is adding extra frequencies due to consistently high demand. North America remains one of the most important cargo markets out of Hong Kong and Cathay Pacific now flies its freighters to a total of eight destinations on the continent: New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and Atlanta in the US and Toronto and Vancouver in Canada.

Cathay Pacific Director & General Manager Cargo Ron Mathison said: "Demand to and from both Dallas and Atlanta has been strong since the launch of these two new routes. The additional of three more frequencies bringing the freighter service to daily will make our service more attractive to shippers and strengthen Hong Kong as a regional hub for air cargo."

Cathay Pacific now operates a total of 19 freighters with the arrival this month of its sixth 747-400BCF "Boeing Converted Freighter". The airline has two more BCFs on firm order and in May 2008 will take delivery of the first of six new Boeing 747-400ERF "Extended Range Freighters" for use on ultra-long haul routes. The airline recently reaffirmed its commitment to the airfreight industry in Hong Kong by submitting a bid to build and operate the planned third cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport.