Publicada en junio 2024
Paul Johannes, who holds a degree in Multinational Business from Florida State University – College of Business and an MBA in International Management from the Rotterdam School of Management, exudes kindness in his eyes and friendliness in his dealings, but talking to him is also a constant learning experience, the result of a successful professional career.
With extensive experience in commercial management at the highest level in the aviation industry, he has held senior international positions in Hong Kong, mainland China and other countries, including Spain.
He now strategically leads business operations in Europe, focusing on driving growth and excellence in customer service, a highly competitive environment that only a highly skilled individual is able to manage as effectively as Paul does.
With a strong professional background spanning prominent professional positions at Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Paul Johannes has accumulated extensive sales and commercial management experience in various regions around the world. His dedication and knowledge have been fundamental to the success and expansion of the companies he has worked for.
Q.- Cathay Pacific is an airline in constant evolution, what has been the philosophy that has marked the path from its origins to the present day?
A.- Cathay Pacific is an airline with more than 77 years of history, originating from Hong Kong, where we can proudly say that we are the leading local airline. Since its inception, the airline has always strived to “go the extra mile” -as our slogan Move Beyond says- and this has meant that Cathay Pacific has always been a pioneer and at the forefront of its industry, from Betsy’s first flight -the affectionate nickname given to our first aircraft, a Douglas DC-3- to being recognised today as one of the world’s best airlines. We are also one of the founding members of the oneworld alliance, to which other major airlines such as British Airways, American Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Qantas and Spain’s Iberia belong. What has not changed over the years is Cathay Pacific’s primary objective as an airline, which is to connect our customers around the world to their favourite places.
Q.- What makes Cathay Pacific different?
If you ask anyone who has flown with us, they will tell you that what really sets Cathay Pacific apart from other airlines is the warmth of the experience, the personal touch and the attention to detail. In Spain we are the only airline that offers direct, non-stop connections to Hong Kong, in the heart of Asia, but for us it is essential that our customers’ experience when flying with Cathay Pacific is as comfortable as possible, whether on long or short-haul flights, and this is achieved by taking care of the smallest detail. We offer a close and comfortable flight experience from the very first moment -from the booking process-, during the flight itself -where we provide the user with the best seats for comfort and ergonomics, the quietest and most efficient flight cabins, amenities and an unrivalled catalogue of top quality in-flight food and drink and entertainment-, and on arrival at the destination -optimising waiting times on connecting flights and providing travellers with the best VIP lounges so they can rest or work in the most comfortable way possible at the airport as well-
Q.- The number of Spanish tourists travelling to Asian destinations has been gradually increasing. What is the predominant profile and what are they looking for?
A.- After the pandemic, we have observed that Spanish tourists are keen to travel again and rediscover the world. This has been particularly noticeable in destinations such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, in addition to the Philippines and Thailand, which were already very important destinations for Spanish travellers. In addition, Australia and New Zealand have also performed very well. On the other hand, the business travel segment between Spain and Asia has also increased significantly, especially for SMEs.
Q.- Tell us about the experience of flying with Cathay Pacific and the added value it brings to the overall journey.
A.- As I mentioned before, the differential experience of travelling with Cathay Pacific goes from the moment of booking to the arrival at the destination. The entire online booking process with us is very intuitive, and today, it also opens up a wide range of possibilities for members of our Cathay membership programme, who can earn and redeem Asia Miles for access to multiple complimentary services -flights, holidays, shopping, dining, wellness and payment methods-.
During the flight itself, flying with Cathay Pacific means flying in state-of-the-art aircraft, with extremely low noise levels and carefully regulated pressure and humidity for optimal rest, reducing jet lag, and cabins specially prepared to offer the highest level of comfort on long-haul flights, whether flying in Economy, Premium Economy -with even more ergonomic seating and extra space- or Business -where we offer private cabins, fully reclining to become a 2m long bed-. In addition, our in-flight service is distinguished as one of the best in the world for its warm and friendly service, offering passengers a unique selection of food and beverages on board, with exclusive menus for all our flight categories, designed in collaboration with world-renowned chefs and Michelin-starred restaurants. What’s more, we have the best in-flight entertainment in the world -as recognised by the prestigious SKYTRAX awards in 2023- with 4K screens and an extensive catalogue of the best international and local films and series, including the best platforms such as HBO Max, Disney+ and SPORT 24.
Finally, as we know that for many of our customers the journey continues upon arrival at the airport, we have some of the best VIP lounges in the world, awarded for their design, to make their stay at the airport also a warm and comfortable moment to rest or work in the best way. In addition, with our hub operations at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), the wait times to connect to other flights in our extensive Asia-Pacific network are much shorter and designed to optimise travel times.
Q.- Cathay Pacific has added gastronomic culture as a differential point of the flight. How has this been done?
As I have already mentioned, for Cathay Pacific, it is the attention to detail that makes the difference. We know that in-flight dining is very important to our customers, so we work closely with internationally renowned chefs and restaurants to offer new and enriching experiences and design different menus to suit the needs and tastes of all our customers. To do so, we partner with the best chefs and restaurants in Hong Kong and around the world, who share our vision of trying to deliver a superior dining experience even at 10,000 metres above sea level. Thus, we have recently announced collaboration agreements with different prestigious restaurants, such as Duddell’s -awarded with a Michelin Star-, VEDA by Ovolo -specialised in plant based food and vegetarian and vegan options- or the Pirata restaurant -specialised in Italian food-, to design exclusive dishes for the in-flight menu options in all our flight categories: Economy, Premium Economy and Business.
Q.- What does the Feels Good To Move concept mean?
A.- Feels Good To Move is the concept that accompanies our latest global campaign, which seeks to exalt that innate urge we all have to move and to move forward, practically from the first beat of our heart. As mentioned above, Cathay has always been, from its very beginnings, synonymous with progress. We are restless by nature, it’s part of our DNA and the concept of this campaign is based on that, celebrating how good it feels to move, because everyone wants to move and we are here to connect our customers to their favourite places in the world.
Q.- Society is becoming increasingly aware of carbon footprint reduction and sustainability. What is Cathay Pacific's roadmap towards this goal?
A.- As a pioneering airline, Cathay Pacific has for years maintained a strong commitment to sustainability within the aviation sector, carrying out various initiatives -such as the Fly Greener carbon offsetting programme launched in 2007- and constantly exploring new solutions, as well as stressing the importance of joint work and the commitment of all players in the sector. This is reflected in our Sustainable Development Report 2022, entitled Greener Together, where we set out some of our most ambitious sustainability targets, such as achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or that 10% of the fuel used for our operations by 2030 will be SAF -Sustainable Aviation Fuel-. We firmly believe that the adoption of PAS will be one of the major levers to achieve major emissions reductions in our industry, so in 2023 we are partnering with the major mainland Chinese energy company State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC) to drive the development of the PAS supply chain.
In addition, the Cathay Group has eliminated nearly 200 million single-use plastics from its operations in recent years, far exceeding its 2018 target of more than halving single-use plastics. The strictest sustainability criteria are taken into account for all on-board items, such as napkins made from sugar cane pulp and wood, blankets made from recycled plastic bottles, carpets made from nylon waste material or pillowcases and duvet covers made from 100% sustainable cotton. In this respect, we are ambitious and are working on new sustainability targets for the future.
Q.- Apart from direct flights from Madrid and Barcelona to Hong Kong, what other places in the world can be reached with Cathay Pacific?
A.- Cathay Pacific operates the only direct, non-stop route between Spain and Hong Kong, with a frequency of three return flights a week from Madrid -all on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays- and we have just announced that the direct route from Barcelona will start operating again from 17 June, with another three return flights a week -Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays-. In this way, Spanish passengers have more options than ever to connect to Asia-Pacific, where thanks to Cathay Pacific’s extensive network from its hub at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA), it is possible to connect with total comfort and very short waiting times to any other of its many destinations in the region, such as mainland China, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia and the Philippines.
Q.- Let's look at the immediate future: is there a plan for growth and expansion already defined?
A.- Over the last year, the airline has been focused on its rebuilding process and we have made significant progress, achieving the Group’s target of closing 2023 operating 70% of our passenger flights compared to before the pandemic, covering around 80 destinations. Looking ahead to 2024, we remain committed to continue working on rebuilding our network to 100% of our pre-pandemic levels. In parallel, we continue to invest in new products and partnerships to continue to offer our customers the best possible service, at all levels. Another major innovation will come later this year, when we will launch our revamped Aria Suite luxury cabins for Business Class on our Boeing 777 aircraft.
