The history of Cathay Pacific dates back to 1946, when a group of businessmen founded the airline to serve the newly-formed British Crown Colony of Hong Kong. The airline was founded with the aim of providing air services between Hong Kong, Australia, and the Philippines. Since then, Cathay Pacific has grown to become one of the world's leading international airlines.

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Cathay Pacific's first aircraft was a Douglas DC-3, which was used to operate the airline's inaugural flight from Hong Kong to Manila on August 24, 1946. Over the years, Cathay Pacific has expanded its fleet to include a wide range of aircraft, including Airbus A330s, Airbus A350s, Boeing 777s, and Boeing 787s. In 2020, Cathay Pacific's fleet consists of over 140 aircraft and is one of the largest fleets of any airline in the world.

One of the most important milestones in Cathay Pacific's history was the launch of its frequent flyer program, Marco Polo Club, in 1993. The program is designed to reward customers for their loyalty to the airline and has become one of the most popular loyalty programs in the world.

In 1998, Cathay Pacific launched its regional wing, Cathay Dragon, to serve regional destinations in Asia. Cathay Dragon was initially known as "Dragonair" and was owned by the Swire Group, the same company that owns Cathay Pacific.

In the early 2000s, Cathay Pacific launched a major restructuring process which saw the airline reduce its workforce and focus on providing a higher quality of service. This resulted in the airline becoming a leader in the industry for customer service.

In 2008, Cathay Pacific was the victim of a massive cyber attack which resulted in the theft of over 9.4 million customer records. The airline was heavily criticized for its response to the incident and was later fined by the Hong Kong Privacy Commissioner for failing to protect customer data.

In 2014, Cathay Pacific merged its regional operations with Dragonair to form Cathay Dragon. This merger has allowed Cathay Pacific to better serve regional destinations in Asia and has enabled the airline to offer a more comprehensive network of flights.

In recent years, Cathay Pacific has focused on becoming a more environmentally-friendly airline. The airline has invested heavily in new aircraft and has implemented several initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint.

Today, Cathay Pacific is one of the world's leading airlines and is known for its high quality of service and its commitment to providing a safe and comfortable experience to its customers. Despite its history of incidents and cyber attacks, Cathay Pacific has managed to continue to provide a reliable and high-quality service to its customers.