80 Years Together: Cathay Pacific’s Milestone Celebration 同心飛躍八十年：國泰航空周年誌慶
Written by 撰文： The Fête Chinoise Team
Photography: Cathay Pacific
As Featured in Fête Chinoise The Art of Celebration Annual Edition No.3
Cathay and the West Kowloon Cultural District Authority unveiled a striking new art-focused aircraft livery, “Spirit of Hong Kong – 80th Anniversary Edition." Photo: Cathay Pacific.
Cathay introduces new aircraft into the fleet. Photo: Cathay Pacific.
An 80th anniversary milestone is no small feat for any company, and it feels particularly significant when an aviation giant marks eight decades of moving people across the globe. For many diaspora families with roots in Asia, Cathay Pacific has long been synonymous with nostalgia and the enduring connection to home. Founded in 1946 in Hong Kong, it remains one of the most recognisable cultural touchpoints of the city’s global identity.
In 2026, Cathay Pacific marks this milestone year with “80 Years Together,” a celebration that reflects its aviation legacy and shared history with a city shaped by movement, exchange, and return. The anniversary opens with a reintroduction of the airline’s iconic “lettuce leaf sandwich” livery on select Airbus A350 and Boeing 747 aircraft, a visual echo of its earlier identity. The familiar green-and-white design returns as a gesture of continuity, bridging past and present as it moves across the skies.
八十周年，對任何企業而言皆非易事；當一間航空公司以八十年的時間連繫世界各地的人群，這份意義自然更顯深遠。對許多來自亞洲、散居世界各地的移民家庭而言，國泰航空長久以來承載著記憶與對「家」的情感連結。自1946年於香港創立，它仍是這座城市全球身份中最具代表性的文化象徵之一。
2026年，國泰航空以「同心飛躍八十年」為主題，慶祝其航空歷程，並回應一個由流動、交會與歸返所構成的城市敘事。八十周年之始，品牌於部分空中巴士A350及波音747機型上重新呈現標誌性的「生菜葉三文治」塗裝，回溯早期形象。熟悉的綠白設計再度翱翔天際，連結過去與當下。
To celebrate its 80th anniversary, Cathay unveiled special aircraft liveries on one of its long-haul Airbus A350 passenger aircraft and one of its Boeing 747 freighters. The liveries pay homage to the much-loved green-and-white striped paint scheme, echoing Cathay’s storied legacy while symbolizing its continued growth and progress. Photo: Cathay Pacific.
Cathay executives and pilots celebrate '80 Years Together' joined by cabin crew donning Cathay Pacific’s vintage uniforms through various design eras. PHOTOGRAPHY: Cathay Pacific.
As a centerpiece of Cathay’s 80th anniversary and a platform to showcase WestK’s artistic vision, the new “Spirit of Hong Kong – 80th Anniversary Edition” livery transforms the aircraft into a flying canvas that takes people, cultures and ideas forward while bringing fresh inspiration to the city. PHOTOGRAPHY: Cathay Pacific.
This sense of heritage in motion extends into a broader dialogue. In collaboration with Hong Kong’s West Kowloon Cultural District Authority, Cathay Pacific unveiled the “Spirit of Hong Kong – 80th Anniversary Edition,” a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft transformed into a flying canvas by Hong Kong multimedia artist Victor Wong. Drawing from the airline’s “Gallery in the Skies” concept, the project brings together contemporary art and aviation, positioning the aircraft as both carrier and cultural vessel, reflecting Hong Kong’s creative identity on a global stage.
The anniversary also unfolds through returning vintage cabin crew and ground staff uniforms spanning different eras of the airline’s history. A curated collection of merchandise reimagines archival designs from across its heritage, while reinterpreted onboard experiences, including refreshed expressions of its sonic identity, Song of Cathay, extend the celebration into sensory form.
這種在流動中延續的文化傳承，亦延伸至更廣闊的對話及合作中。國泰航空聯同香港西九文化區管理局，推出「『香港精神號』──八十周年紀念版」藝術塗裝客機，波音777-300ER機型由香港跨媒體藝術家黃宏達創作的數碼山水藝術轉化為機身設計。計劃延續國泰航空「空中畫廊」概念，結合當代藝術與飛行體驗，讓機身成為流動的文化載體，在國際航線之中呈現香港的創意面貌。
國泰航空透過不同時代的經典機組人員與地勤制服回歸，重現品牌歷史中的重要篇章。精選紀念商品系列以當代視角重新演繹典藏設計語彙，將歷史記憶轉化為可延續於日常的文化物件。同時，機上體驗亦經重新詮釋與延展，包括品牌聲音標誌《國泰躍韻》的全新編曲版本，為整體慶祝注入更細膩的感官層次。
Hong Kong multimedia artist Victor Wong used technology to generate landscapes from geographical data he provides to create the celebratory “Spirit of Hong Kong – 80th Anniversary Edition” livery.
Female cabin crew donning Balmain’s Tung Hoi (Eastern Sea) wave-print blouses and scarves with bowler hats in the ‘70s.
Cabin crew donning Cathay Pacific’s vintage uniforms through various design eras pay tribute to the generations of people who have defined the signature Cathay service in the skies. Throughout 2026, around 1,000 to 2,000 of Cathay’s cabin crew and ground employees will wear and showcase these vintage uniforms at work, bringing the evolution of the Cathay brand to life in true Cathay fashion.
As part of its evolving ground experience during this milestone year, Cathay Pacific also reopened The Wing, First at Hong Kong International Airport in April 2026. Redesigned in collaboration with Studioilse, the space reflects the airline’s philosophy of considered hospitality, where materiality, comfort, and transition shape the experience of travel. This is expressed through a series of interconnected spaces, from the central atrium and The Pantry, to The Dining Room offering à la carte service, and quieter areas such as The Retreat and The Alcove designed for rest and reflection. Together, the space creates a refined environment where hospitality begins long before boarding.
Cathay Pacific also presents a special short film, The Journey Home, reflecting a story of love, distance and homecoming, and the ways in which journeys made possible through flight can quietly bring generations closer together, connecting travellers through storytelling.
作為地面體驗持續升級的一部分，國泰航空亦於 2026 年四月重開香港國際機場的「寰宇堂」頭等貴賓室。貴賓室由倫敦設計工作室 Studioilse 重新設計，延續品牌一貫以人為本的待客哲學，透過材質運用、舒適度與空間的細膩處理，構築旅程中的停留體驗。整體空間以中央中庭為核心展開，設有標誌性的綠瑪瑙吧檯及「輕饌坊」；「饌薈廳」提供多元用餐體驗；而「悠然軒」與「恬逸閣」等較為靜謐的區域，則為旅客提供休憩與沉澱的空間。不同空間之間彼此連結，在功能與氛圍之間取得平衡，讓旅客在登機之前，已率先感受國泰航空細緻尊尚的待客之道。
國泰航空亦推出特別微電影《家在咫尺》，講述關於愛、距離與歸家的故事，呈現飛行如何在無聲之間拉近世代距離，讓旅程透過敘事與情感彼此連結。
Cathay is redefining the premium lounge experience for its customers with the unveiling of its newly redesigned flagship lounge The Wing, First at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Photography: Cathay Pacific.
Anchored by Cathay Pacific’s signature green onyx bar, the Atrium in The Wing, First class lounge evolves throughout the day with a versatile menu. Photography: Cathay Pacific.
The reimagined The Wing, First class lounge harmoniously blends contemporary design and residential comfort, retaining its warmth and familiarity, while introducing a more holistic approach to space, dining and service for elevated comfort and privacy. Photography: Cathay Pacific.
The Dining Room in The Wing, First class lounge offers full à la carte table service including regional Chinese dishes created in partnership with Mott 32. Photography: Cathay PAcific.
At its core, “80 Years Together” speaks to shared journeys: of departure and return, distance and reunion, and the generations connected through flight. As Cathay Pacific looks ahead, its story remains rooted in a simple idea: continuing to connect people across distances with care and intention, shaped by decades of shared journeys through the skies.
「同心飛躍八十年」的核心，在於對共同旅程的回望：關於啟程與歸返、距離與重逢，以及因飛行而彼此連結的世代。展望未來，國泰航空始終回到一個簡單而深遠的理念：以細緻關懷與真誠用心，連繫相隔千里的人們，讓相遇與同行，在旅程之中延續。
As part of its 80th anniversary celebrations, Cathay unveiled a special aircraft livery on one of its long-haul Airbus A350 passenger aircraft adorned with the airline’s iconic “lettuce leaf sandwich” design as well as the 80th anniversary year mark. Photo: Cathay Pacific.
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An 80th anniversary milestone is no small feat for any company, and it feels particularly significant when an aviation giant marks eight decades of moving people across the globe. For many diaspora families with roots in Asia, Cathay Pacific has long been synonymous with nostalgia and the enduring connection to home. Founded in 1946 in Hong Kong, it remains one of the most recognisable cultural touchpoints of the city’s global identity.