Cathay Group, the parent company of Cathay Pacific, reports that attributable profit for the first half of 2026 rises 71% year on year to HK$6.243 billion (about US$796–802 million, depending on the source). Multiple outlets link the increase to stronger passenger demand, including traffic from travelers avoiding the Middle East. Cathay Pacific carried a total of 16 million passenger trips in the first half of 2026, averaging about 88,400 per day, and this volume is reported as higher than a year earlier.
Several reports also say cost pressures increase during the period. They cite jet fuel prices that had declined from a peak earlier in the second quarter but are rising again, alongside effects from escalating tensions in the Middle East. One outlet characterizes the situation as driven by the Iran war and notes near-doubling fuel costs and additional passenger-related surcharges.
Cathay Group chairman Guy Bradley delivers the interim results for the first time since taking up the role earlier this year, and the company’s outlook reflects continued exposure to fuel-price changes tied to regional tensions.
