To celebrate a century of Hong Kong's vibrant aviation legacy and kick off the famous Kong Kong Sevens international rugby tournament, Cathay Pacific, the territory's iconic homegrown airline, has an exciting special event planned. The airline will be conducting a unique flypast over the historic Kai Tak Stadium on Sunday, March 30, 2025.

Pilotcenter.net News recently shared the news that Cathay Pacific is reconnecting with its roots at the revered location of its spiritual home – Kai Tak Park in Hong Kong. Partnering with Hong Kong's cutting-edge sports facility, the Kai Tak Sports Park (KTSP), situated on the site of the former international airport, Cathay Pacific has been named the exclusive Founding Travel Partner of this state-of-the-art complex.

The KTSP, boasting a modern sports arena known as the Kai Tak Stadium, has been described by Cathay Pacific as "the largest integrated sports and entertainment landmark in Hong Kong," designed to offer sporting, cultural, and entertainment experiences to a global audience. One of Cathay's Airbus A350 aircraft will grace the skies above the Kai Tak Stadium, symbolically bridging the past with the present and paying tribute to the airline's historical roots.

Scheduled for takeoff from Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) at 16:00 local time on Sunday, March 30, 2025, under the flight number CX8100, the special flight will soar over the city districts of Central and Wan Chai, glide above the Kai Tak Stadium, and then proceed towards North Point, traversing the downtown harbor area of Kowloon.

In anticipation of this momentous event, Cathay Pacific shared on Facebook, "The thundering roar of the engines, the bustling neighborhood right underneath – these collective memories of Kai Tak shall come alive on March 30, 2025, back where it all began." The Hong Kong government also expressed its support for the flypast, acknowledging it as a symbol of the region's rich aviation history that spans a century.

Originally established as a humble airfield post-War in 1925, Kai Tak evolved into Hong Kong's primary air gateway, linking the city to the global skies. Nestled in Kowloon City, Kai Tak airport was famed for its exhilarating and challenging landings, with pilots maneuvering a steep late turn onto the final approach, creating the thrilling illusion of aircraft skimming the rooftops of nearby buildings as they descended.

Drawing crowds who marveled at the sight of planes gliding over densely packed residential neighborhoods, Kai Tak left an indelible mark on the memories of many Hongkongers. Eventually closed in 1998 and succeeded by the present-day HKG airport, Kai Tak once served some 30 million passengers using only a single runway constructed on reclaimed land.

Today, the former Kai Tak site has undergone transformation, with the cruise terminal and the newly established Kai Tak Sports Park now gracing its grounds. The historic runway has been repurposed as the Kai Tak Runway Park, where visitors can still witness remnants of the airport's legacy, such as the iconic yellow and black checkerboard landing guide.

To ensure the smooth execution of Cathay Pacific's A350 flypast on March 30, 2025, the Civil Aviation Department (CAD) of Hong Kong will impose temporary restricted flying zones in and around Victoria Harbour. Activities including drone flights, model aircraft operations, kite flying, captive balloons, and mass release of small balloons will face restrictions. Cathay Pacific emphasized that the special flight is subject to weather conditions prevailing on the day of the flypast.