Customers flying First class or Business and Cathay members who are Silver and above rightly expect access to a lounge, so a partnership with a high-quality lounge provider at airports where there is not a Cathay Pacific lounge must be arranged. And of course, agreements have to be reached with Immigration, Customs and Quarantine officials to ensure our passengers can enter and depart the country with ease.

These are just some of the items to check off in the airport and terminal, but there are many more to consider on the airfield – starting with securing a parking gate at the terminal at the time we plan to operate. Once that’s done, the aircraft, baggage and cargo will need to be handled by a ground-handling partner – all of whom are subject to the same rigorous training requirements as their “above the wing” colleagues. The more safety-critical roles require additional training and are formally “licensed” by Cathay Pacific. We also need to ensure the handling equipment is compatible with the aircraft we are flying on the route and that it has been well-serviced and is safe to use. “It’s an intense training programme, but there are no exceptions when it comes to the safety of our operations,” says Ricky Hung, Head of Airport Operations.

Overseeing the ground time of our aircraft will be a line maintenance engineer who inspects the aircraft and signs it off for the return flight. The Engineering and Flight Operations teams work hand-in-hand to ensure the right equipment and people are in place and procedures are followed. This could range from technical aircraft maintenance to ensuring the airport has the right ground markings so the jet bridge makes precise contact with the aircraft doors.

On board, the aircraft will need cleaning, all waste taken off, new supplies and catering loaded and, of course, the bathrooms serviced – all of which also require contracts with numerous local suppliers. If this is a long-haul route, accommodation and transport need to be secured for the flight and cabin crew, to ensure they can rest sufficiently before their return.

While we love the excitement and celebrations that surround an inaugural flight, once that first flight has departed for Hong Kong, there is no time to rest: we carry out an in-depth review of how day one went. “We’ll always find something to improve on,” says Mak. “Day two will always be better, and day three even better.”

Despite Chennai and Colombo being post-pandemic resumptions rather than brand-new routes, we’ve updated our protocols and rigorously re-tested every step of the airport experience. “Whether you’re flying home or taking off on a new adventure, rest assured that for many months, our people have been hard at work to ensure that your experience is a smooth one,” says Deborah McConnochie, General Manager Airport Service Delivery. “It’s another small example of our determination to be one of the world’s greatest service brands.”