Cathay Pacific set to make Dubai new Middle East hub
MANAMA: Dubai will become the regional hub for Cathay Pacific’s passenger and cargo operations across the Middle East.
The airline, which is Hong Kong’s flag carrier, appointed Jonathan Ng as country manager Middle East, it confirmed in a statement issued yesterday.
The GDN reported last month that Unitag Group founder and chairman Jamil Wafa hosted a farewell for Mr Ng, who previously held the position of Cathay Pacific manager for Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and offline stations in the Middle East.
“Committed to its Middle Eastern markets, Cathay Pacific has undertaken a management change in the region, in line with its global vision to make the airline more competitive by improving the speed and quality of decision-making and putting a greater focus on its customers,” said the airline in a statement issued yesterday.
“As part of its renewed focus, Dubai will become the airline’s regional hub for all passenger and cargo operations across the Middle East, which includes the emirate in addition to Bahrain.
“Effective September 1, Cathay Pacific has appointed Jonathan Ng to drive the
business as country manager – Middle East.”
Mr Ng who is expected to make frequent visits to Bahrain, where the airline maintains an office of 15 staff, had joined Cathay Pacific as a management trainee in 2011 and has since held the post of assistant airline alliance manager.
He was seconded to Air China in Beijing, as deputy general manager – marketing and sales before taking up the post in Bahrain in 2016.
He has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Warwick.
Nikhil Kilpady, having recently served the airline as sales and marketing manager for the UAE and Oman will now take on the position of regional sales and marketing manager – Middle East.
Graduated with a Master of Business Administration degree from University of Nottingham, UK, Mr Kilpady comes with an extensive experience in the aviation and travel industries before joining Cathay Pacific in 2008.
He has held a number of positions with the airline, including area sales manager – Bangalore, India, and port manager – Maldives.
He will now be responsible for the commercial operations and strategy for the Middle East.
Hasan Qannati has been appointed as trade, corporate sales and marketing manager – Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Offline Middle East, and is based in Bahrain.
Mr Qannati joined Cathay Pacific Bahrain in 2013 and has accumulated experience across the markets in Bahrain and the Eastern Province in
Saudi Arabia.
Edwin Gudino, appointed as cargo manager – Middle East in 2016, will continue to take care of the cargo operations and commercial strategy from the Dubai regional head office.
The Cathay Pacific story in the Gulf started in 1976 when the airline appointed World Travel Service – founded by Mr Wafa – as its general sales agent for Bahrain, which became a hub for its first Middle East flights.
Despite objections that the airline provided competition to Gulf Air, authorities were persuaded to grant landing and traffic rights for Cathay Pacific’s three weekly flights between Hong Kong and Bahrain, via Bangkok, and the airline established its regional office at Unitag House in Bahrain.
It then launched a daily return Hong Kong-Bahrain-London service in 1980 using Boeing 747 aircraft, a service that was eventually cancelled due to the outbreak of war in Iraq.
Cathay Pacific later expanded its operation to Dubai and now offers a Hong Kong-Dubai-Bahrain service using Airbus A330-300 aircraft seven times a week, in addition to another seven flights between Dubai and Hong Kong.
Source: http://www.gdnonline.com/Details/252773/Cathay-Pacific-set-to-make-Dubai-new-Middle-East-hub
