SEA Airport launching nonstop flights to Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific

Nonstop flights to Hong Kong have returned to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), the airport confirmed.

Cathay Pacific, which previously operated service out of SEA, will have five flights a week on its Airbus A350-900, with each flight typically departing midday, depending on the month and season. The first nonstop flight to Hong Kong took place on Monday, March 30.

“Direct service from Seattle to Hong Kong is back, and we couldn’t be more thrilled,” Sam Cho, the commissioner of the Port of Seattle, said. “This connection opens exciting opportunities for both business and leisure travelers, strengthening ties between our regions and expanding access for our community.”

Cathay Pacific operated service from SEA before the pandemic but discontinued service when COVID-19 struck. With this partnership reunited, this marks the last pre-pandemic carrier to return to SEA.

“As Cathay Pacific marks 80 years of connecting Hong Kong with the world, we are delighted to resume service to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport,” Lavinia Lau, the chief customer and commercial officer at Cathay Pacific, said. “Seattle is an important gateway for travelers across the Pacific Northwest, and this renewed connection strengthens access to Hong Kong and the Cathay Group’s network of more than 100 destinations across Asia and beyond. We look forward to deepening our partnership with SEA and welcoming passengers on board.”

More international flights out of SEA

SEA has been determined to make its airport more international. Alaska Airlines is launching nonstop flights to Rome beginning April 28 and to London beginning May 21. Nonstop daily flights to Reykjavík launch on May 28 and run until Sept. 7.

The airport has been public about its goal to have at least 12 international destinations by 2030.

Airport bottlenecks ease as TSA workers get paid, but shutdown continues

Frustrating security lines dwindled at U.S. airports Monday, clearing the worst bottlenecks as Transportation Safety Administration officers began receiving back pay for working during the government shutdown.

Checkpoint lines that at times stretched to four hours at Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport shrank to waits of 10 minutes or less on Monday. In other previous trouble spots, such as Atlanta and Baltimore-Washington International Airport, travelers were moving smoothly to their flights.

After weeks of airport chaos, there was finally optimism for the beleaguered aviation system.

Weary travelers hope the overdue paychecks will end the seemingly endless security lines and missed flights many experienced. It remains unknown how long federal immigration officers will maintain a visible presence in airport terminals as the busy spring break travel season continues.

TSA workers told union leadership Monday that they received some — but not all — of their back pay, according to Johnny Jones, secretary-treasurer of the TSA chapter of the American Federation of Government Employees. He said the rest is expected by next week. Some employees also reported incorrect backpay amounts, including missing overtime, the union said.

Jones, who is also a TSA agent at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, said one colleague told him he was already “back to zero” after covering his car and housing payments and late fees. Workers are relieved the money has arrived, but with the shutdown still unresolved, he said, they worry it won’t provide lasting relief.

“None of my colleagues feel like they’ve been made whole,” Jones said. “Their finances are destroyed.”

Contributing: The Associated Press

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