Cathay Cargo posted double-digit growth in August, driven by strong demand for dangerous goods transport, especially lithium batteries bound for Oceania. The airline plans to expand freighter services to meet peak season demand, reported London's Air Cargo News.

Cathay Cargo said it carried 13 per cent more freight in August 2025 compared with the same month last year. However, available freight tonne kilometres rose faster, up 15 per cent.

For the first eight months of 2025, total tonnage increased 11 per cent year-on-year. Lithium battery shipments were a key contributor to the rise.

Chief customer and commercial officer Lavinia Lau said demand for capacity into the Americas remained strong. She expects momentum to continue into the traditional autumn peak, helped by new tech product launches.

To meet rising demand, Cathay will add freighter schedules, including a new weekly service to Madrid starting 13 October.

Passenger traffic is also growing, with over 110,000 daily travellers. Cathay will launch flights to Seattle on 30 March 2026, restoring direct links to the US west coast.

The airline will increase frequency to Dallas-Fort Worth and Riyadh to daily during the winter season. It resumed four-times-weekly flights to Brussels in early August.

In July, frontloading to avoid tariff costs and strong demand for machinery and perishables also boosted cargo volumes.