Cathay Pacific adjusts boarding and gate closure times

Cathay Pacific is adjusting its boarding and gate closure times starting next month, which will have all boarding gates for its flights across its network closing 15 minutes before departure from June 1.

On the same day, boarding for all Cathay Pacific flights departing from Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) will start five minutes earlier.

According to the Hong Kong-based airline, the move is aimed to deliver an on-time, seamless, and reliable travel experience.

“These changes were designed based on feedback from both our customers and our people. We understand our customers value a smooth and relaxed boarding experience, with additional time to settle in and relax before departure. By boarding earlier, we can provide this improved experience and better manage any last-minute changes as we make final preparations for an on-time departure.”

In its Annual Report 2025, Cathay Pacific stated its on-time performance (OTP) for its passenger flights was 75.3% in 2025. It is a 2.4% increase from the previous year (72.9%). OTP refers to flights arriving or departing within 15 minutes of their scheduled time.

According to Cirum’s On-Time Performance Monthly Report for April 2026, Singapore Airlines is the leading on-time airline in the Asia-Pacific with an OTP of 87.52%, followed by Garuda Indonesia (86.08%) and Singapore Airlines’ budget subsidiary Scoot (85.78). SAS is the top airline globally with its OTP at 89.53%.