CX Airline Code, Cathay Pacific
CX is the IATA airline code for Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong SAR of China. Its ICAO code is CPA and its radio callsign is "Cathay".
What airline is CX?
CX is the IATA airline code for Cathay Pacific, based in Hong Kong SAR of China. Its ICAO code is CPA and its radio callsign is "Cathay".
The open dataset lists 213 scheduled routes for the carrier, placing it at number 84 among airlines worldwide. You will see CX as the two-character prefix on its flight numbers, for example CX123.
| IATA airline code | CX |
|---|---|
| ICAO airline code | CPA |
| Radio callsign | Cathay |
| Country | Hong Kong SAR of China |
| Alliance | oneworld |
| Scheduled routes | 213 (ranked #84) |
| Most routes at | HKG Hong Kong |
| Status | Active |
What is the airline code for Cathay Pacific?
The IATA airline code for Cathay Pacific is CX, and its ICAO code is CPA. The two-character IATA code prefixes the carrier's flight numbers, for example CX123.
IATA airline codes are two characters and can reuse letters over time, so a retired airline's code may later be assigned to another carrier. ICAO codes are three letters and are more stable, which is why flight plans use them.
Where the CX code comes from
CX belongs to Cathay Pacific, a oneworld founding member based at Hong Kong International. The C is for Cathay, the old European name for China; the X is generally described as a filler chosen because CP was taken by Canadian Pacific at the time. The ICAO code CPA preserves the fuller abbreviation.
More on how these identifiers work in what an IATA code is and airline callsigns.
What are Cathay Pacific's hub airports?
Cathay Pacific (CX) concentrates its network on HKG (Hong Kong).
Which airport does Cathay Pacific serve most?
Cathay Pacific (CX) appears on more routes at HKG, Hong Kong, than at any other airport in the open route dataset.
The airports Cathay Pacific appears at most often in that dataset, most routes first:
Routes flown by Cathay Pacific
The busiest pairs Cathay Pacific (CX) is listed as operating in the open route dataset (codeshare-only listings excluded), with distance and typical flight time:
Route and carrier data comes from the OpenFlights open dataset, regenerated here on . It is a historical snapshot of scheduled connections, not a live schedule, and it includes codeshare listings, so some carriers shown may no longer operate the route or exist. How we build this · Data and sources.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO code for Cathay Pacific?
Cathay Pacific uses the ICAO airline code CPA and the radio callsign "Cathay". Flight plans and air traffic control use CPA, while tickets and schedules use CX.
What is the radio callsign for Cathay Pacific?
Air traffic control refers to Cathay Pacific by the radio callsign "Cathay".
What country is Cathay Pacific based in?
Cathay Pacific (CX) is based in Hong Kong SAR of China.
What is the abbreviation for Cathay Pacific?
The two-character IATA abbreviation for Cathay Pacific is CX, and its three-letter ICAO code is CPA.
How many routes does Cathay Pacific fly?
The open route dataset lists 213 route entries for Cathay Pacific, codeshare listings included, which ranks the carrier number 84 by that count. The route table below shows only the pairs Cathay Pacific is listed as operating.
Is Cathay Pacific in an airline alliance?
Cathay Pacific (CX) is a member of oneworld, the global airline alliance founded in 1999. Membership means shared lounges, frequent flyer recognition and connecting networks across the member carriers.