Cathay Pacific Airways celebrated the imminent launch of its second daily non-stop service between Hong Kong and San Francisco at a VIP reception in the Californian city. The airline's Chief Operating Officer John Slosar flew to San Francisco to host the event.

Starting October 18, Cathay Pacific will add a second daily non-stop service between Hong Kong and San Francisco. The new CX870 flight will depart Hong Kong at 14:10, supplementing the existing CX872 late-afternoon departure, while the new CX879 service from San Francisco will provide travellers with more options when connecting through the Hong Kong hub.

Speaking at the launch event, John Slosar said this is a very exciting time for the airline, with the addition of new services, the rollout of a new long-haul product in three classes, and the arrival of a new fleet of Boeing 777-300ER long-haul aircraft.

"We have been providing services to and from San Francisco for more than 20 years and continue to grow in the right direction with the addition of the second daily service. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment by investing in new products, adding more aircraft, growing our network and providing more services that offer people greater travel options and benefits," Mr Slosar said.

To tie in with the launch of the additional San Francisco flight, Cathay Pacific has organised a roadshow that is offering the public in eight cities across the United States and Canada a first glimpse of the new seats and cabin features now being rolled out on the airline's long-haul aircraft. The "Cathay Pacific's New Product Roadshow" runs until November 1 and includes stops in Los Angeles, San Jose, San Francisco, Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto and New York.

The airline is continuing to strengthen its services as new aircraft join the fleet, with a second daily non-stop flight to New York being added from November 15. A number of other services are being bolstered, with additional flights to Vancouver, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Tokyo providing passengers with more choice and further cementing Hong Kong's position as a leading international aviation hub.

New Hong Kong-San Francisco Flight Schedule (effective October 18, 2007):

* New service