On August 7, Dragonair announced that it will launch scheduled services to Fukuoka and Sendai in Japan on October 28, further strengthening ties between Hong Kong and Japan. Flights to Fukuoka will operate daily and to Sendai three times a week, using Airbus A321 and Airbus A320 aircraft respectively. Dragonair will be the only airline operating scheduled flights between Hong Kong and Sendai and the only airline to offer nonstop service to Fukuoka.

"We are delighted to introduce flights to these two popular Japanese destinations," said Chief Executive Officer Kenny Tang. "Part of our long-term strategy is to serve niche markets in Asia in addition to our core Mainland China market and we launched services to Phuket and Busan soon after our integration into the Cathay Pacific Group. Supported by Cathay Pacific's international network these two routes have been a big success and I am confident Fukuoka and Sendai will become equally popular destinations."

At the same time as adding the two new routes to its network, Dragonair will cease to operate its daily service to Tokyo to enable a better use of resources. Subject to government approval, Dragonair's sister airline Cathay Pacific will code-share on the new services to Fukuoka and Sendai and market the routes through its global network.

"Japan is one of the most popular destinations for tourists from Hong Kong and is becoming a bigger draw around the world. While we expect the majority of our passengers to originate from Japan, there will also be considerable demand for the new flights from Hong Kong, Southeast Asia, Europe and Australia," said Mr. Tang.

The flight schedule, which is subject to government approval, is as follows:

Fukuoka (FUK)

Flight                     Route           Departs       Arrives  Days

KA316                 HKGFUK      08:50           13:05           Daily

KA317                 FUKHKG      15:55           19:00           Mon/Tue/Wed

                           FUKHKG       15:35           18:40           Thu

                           FUKHKG       16:00           19:05           Fri/Sat/Sun

Sendai (SDJ)

Flight                     Route           Departs       Arrives  Days

KA320                 HKGSDJ      12:55           17:55           Wed

                           HKGSDJ      14:40           19:40           Thu/Sun

KA321                 SDJHKG      09:40           14:15           Mon/Fri

                           SDJHKG       08:15           12:55           Thu

Fukuoka

Situated on Kyushu Island, Fukuoka is one of the major travel, economic and cultural centres in Japan. Thanks to its increasing prominence in tourism and trade, Fukuoka was named one of the most dynamic cities by a world's famous international business magazine last year. The city's attractions include Tenjin, Kyushu's most vibrant downtown area, Fukuoka Tower, the tallest coastal tower in Japan, the Uminonakamichi Seaside Park and Marine World, and the Fukuoka City Museum.

Sendai

The largest city in the Tohoku region on Honshu Island, Sendai is a vibrant cultural capital offering a variety of musical and cultural events throughout the year including the Donto-sai Festival in January and the Tanabata Festival in August. Hot springs, historical sites - including the Aoba Castle and the Osaki Hachiman Shrine - and an attractive environment help to make Sendai, dubbed the "City of Trees", an alluring destination for local and international tourists alike.

Dragonair is a Hong Kong-based airline operating a fleet of 31 passenger aircraft and six freighters serving 31 regional destinations, including 21 cities in Mainland China. Dragonair is part of the Cathay Pacific Group, providing seamless connectivity for passengers to more than 100 cities around the globe.