Dragonair

History

Dragonair was founded on 24 May 1985 by Hong Kong businessman Chao Kuang-piu and began operations in July 1985 with a Boeing 737-200 service from the old Kai Tak Airport to Kota Kinabalu. Cathay Pacific progressively increased its stake in the carrier through the 1990s and 2000s, and Dragonair became a wholly owned Cathay Pacific subsidiary in September 2006. In January 2016 the airline was rebranded Cathay Dragon, with the new livery and identity becoming fully active on 21 November 2016, positioning it as Cathay Pacific's regional feeder carrier across mainland China and Asia. On 21 October 2020, amid the collapse in travel demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cathay Pacific announced that Cathay Dragon would cease operations with immediate effect as part of a group-wide restructuring, laying off almost all of its roughly 2,500 cabin crew, pilots and staff.

Current Operations

Cathay Dragon no longer operates. It ceased flying entirely on 21 October 2020 and was dissolved as part of Cathay Pacific's pandemic-era restructuring. Its regional network of around 50 destinations across 14 countries and territories in Asia was absorbed into and continues to be served by parent company Cathay Pacific under its own brand. The KA code and Cathay Dragon identity are retired and are not expected to return to service.

Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

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