CATHAY PACIFIC SIGNS NEW CODESHARE WITH TURKISH AIRLINES

Cathay Pacific Airways today signed a new codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines covering Cathay Pacific's flights between Hong Kong and Istanbul. Under the new agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its designator code on Cathay Pacific's two services a week between the two cities. The airlines will each sell a proportion of the seats on the aircraft. Subject to government approval, the codeshare will commence with the start of Cathay Pacific's new Winter Schedule on 29 October.

A ceremony for the codeshare agreement took place this afternoon in Istanbul. Signing the agreement were Cathay Pacific's Director and Chief Operating Officer Philip Chen, and Turkish Airlines' Executive Vice President Commercial Gurol Yuksel. A number of senior executives from each of the airlines also attended.

To coincide with the start of the new codeshare, Cathay Pacific's flights between Hong Kong and Istanbul will also have improved departure times from both cities. These new times will help increase the number of onward connections. Details of the flights with the new departure times are as follows:

Flight Days Departs Time Arrives Time

CX301 Weds/Sat Hong Kong 11:55pm Istanbul 6:15am next day

CX302 Weds/Sat Istanbul 4:10pm Hong Kong 8:00am next day

Mr Chen said: "We are very pleased to enter into this new codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines. We are confident that by working together we can further increase the popularity of this service, and enhance the growing links between Turkey and Hong Kong."

Cathay Pacific commenced flights to Istanbul in August 1998. The flights have proven increasingly popular with residents from both Hong Kong and Turkey. Cathay Pacific operates the route using its Airbus Industrie A340-300s which carry 249 passengers in three classes.

Turkish Airlines operates a fleet of 72 aircraft and flies to four continents. The airline is based at the newly opened Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul. With the start of the codeshare, Hong Kong will become the airline's 79th destination.