Cathay Pacific Airways Tuesday announced the addition of a fifth daily flight to Seoul, South Korea.

According to Cathay Pacific Airways, the new non-stop service, starting Jan. 27, 2006, will depart Hong Kong shortly after midnight, arriving early morning in the South Korean capital. The return flight from Seoul will be the first departure for Hong Kong from the city and will arrive before noon.

The new service will complement the airline's existing schedule. The late-night Hong Kong departure will enable business travelers to make the most of the workday and connect with inbound services from Bangkok, Australia and New Zealand, it said.

The return leg will principally make onward connections to Denpasar and points in Australia. Of the airline's four other daily Seoul services, three are non-stop. The new service, for which final details remain subject to government approval, will also operate non-stop.

Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Development Augustus Tang said, "A fifth daily Cathay Pacific flight to and from Seoul capitalizes on the growing enthusiasm for business and in particular leisure for travel to and from South Korea. Its schedule offers customers a new product and the prospect of easier access to more points across Cathay Pacific's network, strengthening Hong Kong as a global hub."

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2005)