Cathay celebrates longstanding youth development efforts in Hong Kong with students and mentors on latest Community Flight

Cathay continued its longstanding commitment to supporting youth development in Hong Kong with the successful return of its popular Cathay Community Flight. The flight – the eighth to be operated by the airline since 2007 – saw about 170 students and mentors enjoy a 90-minute flight in the skies above Hong Kong onboard a state-of-the-art Airbus A350-1000 aircraft. The Cathay Community Flight 2023 marked the culmination of a series of initiatives organised by the airline in support of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government’s “Strive and Rise Programme”, which pairs students with volunteer mentors to help them build up their self-confidence and guide them to develop their personal goals.

Cathay contribution to Strive and Rise aligns with its deep commitment to youth development which includes various programmes aimed at providing opportunities for young Hong Kong people to explore a career in aviation. These include I Can Fly, the Cadet Pilot Training Programme, the Cathay Hackathon, collaboration with the Vocational Training Council and various summer internship and graduate trainee programmes. Over the years, the airline has also organised a broad range of community initiatives to support local groups with special needs, including volunteer services to provide homework support and mentorship for children from underprivileged and ethnic minority backgrounds.

The Cathay Community Flight 2023 was hosted by Cathay Chief Executive Officer Ronald Lam, while the guest of honour was Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR Government Chan Kwok-ki.

Mr Chan said: "The Government would like to sincerely thank Cathay for its staunch support of the Strive and Rise Programme that I am proud to lead. Over the past few months, Cathay has invited about 1,600 students and mentors from the programme to participate in a series of meticulously planned Aviation Exploration Days. Through a variety of experiential activities including today's Cathay Community Flight, students are able to broaden their horizons and gain a better understanding of the opportunities to develop in the aviation industry, so that they could better plan their academic paths. I firmly believe that, with the joint efforts of the Government, the business sector and the community, we can create a brighter future together for our next generation to strive and rise."

Mr Lam commented: “The Cathay Community Flight epitomises our commitment to investing in society’s future by supporting young people to reach their potential and helping them explore opportunities to develop a future career within the aviation industry. Youth development has long been a core pillar in Cathay’s corporate social responsibility strategy, and we will continue to focus on developing programmes to promote this worthy cause while also strengthening Hong Kong’s international aviation hub status. We launched the Cathay Community flight in 2007 and over the years more than 1,300 participants from low-income backgrounds have experienced the joy of flying for the first time. I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken part and helped make the Cathay Community Flight such a resounding success.”

Over the past few months, Cathay has hosted some 1,600 participating students and mentors as part of its commitment to the Strive and Rise Programme. The participants were introduced to the world of aviation by joining Aviation Exploration Days that included visits to the airline’s facilities and those of the wider airport community.

The latest Community Flight was supported by Cathay volunteers, from cockpit and cabin crew to ground staff from various departments, who helped to make it a special day for all concerned. Some of the cockpit crew who volunteered were themselves graduates of youth aviation education programmes such as I Can Fly that have been organised by Cathay previously.