Cathay Pacific's inaugural departure from Sea-Tac Airport

Cathay Pacific’s inaugural departure from Sea-Tac Airport

Cathay Pacific’s new non-stop service from Seattle to Hong Kong launched on April 1 with four flights per week; the service will go daily starting July 1.

The new offering is the only current flight between the two Pacific Rim cities; that should make it a popular option for travelers.

Cathay Pacific went all-out with a launch party at the gate

Cathay Pacific went all-out with a launch party at the gate

Cathay Pacific is using its excellent Airbus A350-900 on the route, which is now the airline’s eighth to the United States and follows existing services to Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York (JFK), New York (Newark), San Francisco, and Washington DC.

Cathay Pacific is renowned for its high-quality service, and that was in evidence at the catered launch event. There was plenty of food, including a whole roast pig, which is a traditional good-luck meal.

Preparing for the inaugural flight

Preparing for the inaugural flight

The late-night departure made for a really fun photo opportunity out on the ramps and taxiways.

Loading up for the long flight to Hong Kong

Loading up for the long flight to Hong Kong

The flight is the very definition of a red-eye, departing from Seattle at 1:00 a.m., and arriving at Hong Kong International Airport at 5:10 a.m. the following day. The return flight departs HKG at 11:55 p.m. and arrives at SEA at 9:00 p.m.

Cathay Pacific’s A350-900s on this route are configured for a total of 280 passengers in three classes: economy (214 seats in a 3-3-3 layout), premium economy (28 seats, 2-4-2), and business (38 lie-flat seats, 1-2-1).

Cathay Pacific's 2019 Seattle flight schedule

Cathay Pacific’s 2019 Seattle flight schedule

Interestingly, on the previous day, Japan Airlines started non-stop service between Seattle and Tokyo using 787-8s, and Delta started non-stop service from Seattle to Osaka with 767-300ERs the day after. Sea-Tac is definitely experiencing strong international growth.

EDITOR-AT-LARGE / DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY - SEATTLE, WA Francis Zera is a Seattle-based architectural, aerial, aviation, and commercial photographer, a freelance photojournalist, and a confirmed AvGeek.

https://www.zeraphoto.com
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2 Comments

Francis,
What was the lens and camera settings you used to get the A350 departure shot?

Hi Brian,

Thanks for reading!

Camera settings are always specific to the environmental conditions at a given location and moment in time. With that caveat, here you go: manual mode, 1/50th at f/4.5, ISO6400.

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