Phil Heard

Phil Heard is a writer and editor for various Cathay Pacific titles

Cathay Pacific

The A321neo is the best short-haul experience in the skies – here’s why

With wide-body comfort, optimized seating and 4K screens throughout, Cathay Pacific’s Airbus A321neos are as good as it gets
Cathay Pacific

Meet the Cathay Pacific Pilots Who Go to Extremes for Charity

Not content to take it slow on the ground, these pilots have pushed themselves to complete fund-raising challenges for the greater good
Hong Kong SAR

Best Places to Eat at Hong Kong International Airport

Elevate your dining expectations at Hong Kong International Airport: yes, you can buy a sandwich or snack, but you can also skip the queues at outposts of Michelin-starred restaurants
Hong Kong SAR

How to Get to Hong Kong International Airport

Efficiency is one of Hong Kong’s great strengths, beginning with its dedicated Airport Express train and infrastructure links across the Greater Bay Area
Hong Kong SAR

What to Know About the Expansion Plans for Hong Kong International Airport

A third runway and better links to the Greater Bay Area will enable HKIA to handle 30 million more passengers a year by 2030
Hong Kong SAR

Best Places to Relax and Unwind at Hong Kong International Airport

Ease into your journey with the comforts of the Cathay Pacific lounges or by taking advantage of complimentary airport facilities and day beds
Hong Kong SAR

Best Places to Shop at Hong Kong International Airport

Whether you want to treat yourself or pick up a worthy souvenir or practical travel item, these airport shops have got the goods
Hong Kong SAR

Best Things to Do With Kids at Hong Kong International Airport

Play zones, kid-friendly shops and handy resources take some of the stress out of flying through Hong Kong with the littlest companions
Business Travel

6 Conversation Starters for Travellers in Asia

Stuck in a boardroom? Lost for words on a date? Here’s your conversational ammo across Asia this month
Cathay Pacific

Black Sheep Continues the Culinary Adventure With New Inflight Menus

Black Sheep’s back, inflight, as Economy Class passengers enjoy new menu items curated by the Hong Kong hospitality group
Cathay Pacific

A Pilot Explains the Art of the Go-Around

Captain Peter Hudson explains how inclement weather and air traffic congestion can result on a 'go-around' for some planes coming in to land
Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific Enhances the First Class Experience with Bamford Products

Passengers in First Class can enjoy new levels of luxury with healthier menus, new bedding and amenity kits featuring Bamford products
Cathay Pacific

Final Farewell for Boeing 747-400BCF

Cathay Pacific bids farewell to its last Boeing 747-400BCF after four decades of loyal service ferrying both passengers and freight
Aviation

How Flight Simulators Prepare Pilots for the New Boeing 777-9

Before new aircraft like the Boeing 777-9 are even built, Cathay Pacific pilots are able to learn to fly them, because the fidelity of the full-motion simulator is so accurate
Cathay Pacific

Black Sheep Restaurants Spices Up Cathay Pacific’s Inflight Dining

A new partnership with Black Sheep Restaurants upgrades the inflight dining experience for all passengers. Plus: Betsy beer is back on long-haul flights
Aviation

A Pilot’s 10 Favourite Features of the Airbus A350

Cathay Pacific Captain Evan Summerfield lists features of the Airbus A350 that make it a pleasure to fly for pilots and passengers alike
Cathay Pacific

Wish Comes True for Boy with Sky-High Ambitions

Many children dream of becoming pilots. For 10-year-old Nok-him, Cathay Pacific went out of its way to make that wish come true
Cathay Pacific

New Pilot Christina Ho Soars Through the Glass Ceiling

Cathay Pacific celebrates newly qualified Second Officer Christina Ho and hopes her success will inspire a new generation of female pilots
Aviation

A Plane of Many Parts: Tracing the Global Supply Chain of an A350

Landing gear from Toronto, aft fuselage from Hamburg: we explore how globally sourced parts are transported by the Beluga XL to create an A350 aircraft
Cathay Pacific

How Cathay Pacific Takes Care of Unaccompanied Minors

When it comes to unaccompanied minors, Cathay Pacific goes to extra lengths to help deliver some of its most precious cargo
Cathay Pacific

What It Takes to Prepare an A350-900 for Its Delivery Flight

A lucky group of Marco Polo Club members boarded a brand new A350-900 for its delivery flight to Hong Kong. But first, the plane was tested and inspected at the Airbus Delivery Centre in France
Cathay Pacific

Designer Ilse Crawford on the New Shanghai Lounge

Cathay Pacific’s new lounge at Shanghai Pudong follows the blueprint of success
Aviation

How Cathay Pacific Is Using Big Data to Reduce Turbulence

Turbulence risks are minimal and becoming less common, now that big data is providing real-time insights to help pilots plot the smoothest path
Aviation

A Peek Inside Cathay’s Flight Training Simulators

Using simulated reality to tackle real-life problems
Cathay Pacific

Why Ireland and Hong Kong Have More in Common Than You Realise

David Costello, Ireland’s Consul General to Hong Kong, reflects on the benefits of Cathay Pacific’s direct flight to Dublin and how it builds on historic connections
Cathay Pacific

How Route Frequencies Change by Season

Cathay Pacific's route planning changes from winter to summer. So what does it take for a destination, like Barcelona, to expand to year-round service?
Cathay Pacific

Move Beyond: Cathay Pacific’s New Brand Concept

Cathay Pacific’s new global brand concept harnesses its strong heritage and service to create a bold direction for the future
Aviation

Cathay Pacific’s Expansion in North America

It started with Vancouver and San Francisco in the 1980s. But as plane technology has evolved, so too has Cathay Pacific’s transpacific network
Aviation

Where Do Flight Attendants Sleep on Long-Haul Flights?

Sweet inflight dreams are made of this - hidden away bunks where flight attendants sleep in shifts
Cathay Pacific

How valuable art flies

As Hong Kong develops as an art hub, we look at the task of transporting the delicate and the irreplaceable
Cathay Pacific

How a Very Important Panda Flies

Cathay Pacific transported Gao Gao and his retinue home to Chengdu after the panda's 15-year stint at the San Diego Zoo
Cathay Pacific

Cathay Pacific Rolls Out Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi connectivity is set to increase as more Cathay Pacific aircraft are fitted with the necessary technology
Aviation

How Planes Land Safely in Thick Fog

Flying blind is easy. Fog on the ground is another matter.
Aviation

Why ice plays havoc with aircraft operations

Icy conditions aren’t just a winter issue for flying, as an airport incident in sunny Darwin, Australia, proves
Aviation

The Very First Boeing 777 retires

A salute to WA001, the first Boeing 777, as it flies into retirement – and the history books
Cathay Pacific

How Hong Kong International Airport Weathered Typhoon Mangkhut

Typhoons are acts of nature, but they can become manmade disasters, too. Here's a behind-the-scenes look at how Cathay Pacific minimised disruptions
Cathay Pacific

Calling at: Anchorage

Why the coastal Alaskan city is such an integral part of Cathay Pacific’s cargo business
Cathay Pacific

How to handle the typhoon of the century

Typhoons are acts of nature. But how did Cathay Pacific avoid Typhoon Mangkhut becoming a manmade disaster, too? By PHIL HEARD
Cathay Pacific

How do you fly around a 50,000-foot cloud?

Answer: you don’t. But Cathay Pacific pilots have their own way of dealing with the weather system that creates them – the Intertropical Convergence Zone
Cathay Pacific

What a Third Runway Means for Hong Kong International Airport

Looking ahead to the future and what the airport's third runway means for Hong Kong's travel industry and the airline
Cathay Pacific

How Airlines Deal with Volcanic Eruptions

How volcanic ash affects Cathay Pacific’s operations
Cathay Pacific

Celebrating Our Stories, Past and to Come

A salute to the storytellers of this airline’s history – and future
Cathay Pacific

Rubbish in, fuel out: Cathay Pacific commits to sustainable fuel

Cathay Pacific is spearheading the airline industry’s search for a viable biofuel
Aviation

Cathay Pacific’s New Airbus A350-1000: What You Need to Know

As Cathay Pacific welcomes its first Airbus A350-1000, here's a look at how this bigger, more efficient aircraft benefits the fleet
Tech and gadgets

RISE 2018 in Hong Kong: Where tigers meet unicorns

How the RISE conference unites investors and innovators, Ireland and Hong Kong
Cathay Pacific

How the Boeing 707 changed the air travel game in Asia

A look back to the late 1960s, when Cathay Pacific embraced the jet age
Cathay Pacific

Points in Time: Cathay Pacific’s first Boeing 777-300

Two decades ago, Cathay Pacific received its first Boeing 777-300. It’s been the backbone of the airline ever since
Cathay Pacific

Big screens, HD, wi-fi: Onboard entertainment gets an upgrade

Seatback entertainment just got better. Phil Heard investigates the latest enhancements in inflight entertainment, upgraded screens, high definition video and Wi-Fi connectivity
Cathay Pacific

Points in Time: Cathay Pacific’s First Lounge

Phil Heard recalls the heady days of Cathay Pacific’s first airport lounge
Cathay Pacific

How an Airline Manages the World’s Biggest Human Migration

Over Chinese New Year Cathay Pacific geared up for a record number of flyers. Phil Heard speaks to the man on the frontline at Hong Kong International Airport
Cathay Pacific

60 years ago: Cathay Pacific’s first DC-6B

How the DC-6 flew the fledgling Cathay Pacific higher and further
Aviation

A new S$985 million home in Singapore

As Changi opens its new terminal, Phil Heard looks at the friendly rivalry between Asia’s two great aviation hubs
Cathay Pacific

Taming the typhoon: How Cathay Pacific dealt with Hato

The biggest storm to hit Hong Kong in five years is on the way. Dozens of flights are due to land in the middle of it. What would you do? Phil Heard spends 24 hours at Cathay Pacific’s airport operations centre as the drama unfolds
Cathay Pacific

25 years on: The Adelaide beginning

Clear skies and sunny days brought Adelaide into the network
Cathay Pacific

What happens to your bag after you check in?

Phil Heard reports from behind the scenes with Cathay Pacific's Baggage Team
Cathay Pacific

How Airlines Plan for Weather Problems

In Asia, typhoons and bad weather can derail even the most meticulous of flight plans. Phil Heard finds out how the airline plans for weather disruptions
Aviation

19 Years of Hong Kong International Airport

How the opening of Hong Kong’s international airport at Chek Lap Kok began a new era for the city, the region and our airlines
Cathay Pacific

What happens to all those uneaten inflight meals?

How Cathay Pacific is sharing its food beyond the aircraft cabin
Aviation

When Cathay Pacific went 100% jet

Looking back to the 1960s when we bade farewell to the founding fleet and became an all-jet airline
Aviation

Discovery: Birth of an inflight magazine

The birth of Cathay Pacific’s inflight magazine
Aviation

Time travels: The day seat-back entertainment arrived

The day seat-back entertainment arrived onboard
Aviation

How to create your own brand ‘smell’

There’s something in the air in the Cathay Pacific lounges – a new signature scent. But how do you decide what a brand smells like?

Phil Heard

Phil Heard is a writer and editor for various Cathay Pacific titles

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