YVR hosts Cathay Pacific’s Gallery in the Skies in Airline’s 80th Anniversary Celebration
When Cathay Pacific’s Boeing 777-300ER outfitted with the airline’s new Gallery in the Skies livery touched down at Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Monday, March 9, it marked another milestone in our longstanding partnership. We are thrilled to be the first airport in North America to welcome Cathay’s newly painted aircraft, designed to celebrate the airline’s 80th anniversary.
Back in 1983, Vancouver was the airline’s first North American gateway, chosen when Cathay Pacific launched its inaugural long‑haul passenger service to the continent. What began as two weekly non‑stop flights to Hong Kong on a Boeing 747‑200 has grown during peak season into a robust schedule of 17 weekly non‑stop flights between our two cities. Since that first flight 43 years ago, over 14 million passengers have flown on Cathay Pacific to and from YVR.
The partnership extends to supporting the economy through the movement of goods. Hong Kong consistently ranks among the airport’s most important global cargo destinations, and in 2024 it was YVR’s fourth‑largest export market. Cathay Pacific itself contributed more than 2.3 million kilograms of cargo carried from YVR to Hong Kong that year, supporting supply chains and businesses across the Lower Mainland.
Cathay Pacific’s history at YVR mirrors the airport’s growth as an international hub—expanding routes, modernizing facilities, and strengthening connections that support tourism, trade, and cultural ties.
Vancouver welcomed Cathay Pacific more than 40 years ago. Today, YVR once again becomes the place where a global celebration touches down first—honouring the past, elevating the present, and setting the stage for the future of travel as Canada’s Pacific gateway to Asia and beyond.