The rebranding will help sharpen our competitive edge and capture the fast growing passenger flow

Keri Lui is the Country Manager Nepal of Cathay Dragon. She assumed the position in August 2016 having joined Cathay Pacific in 2013 besides having worked with the group in Australia. Prior to taking up her current role, she was Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive of Cathay Pacific. Keri Lui holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Excerpts from a conversation with the Country Manager Nepal on the rebranding exercise that Dragonair recently underwent to become Cathay Dragon, and her observations of the airlines performance in Nepal:

What has the journey for the airline been like in Nepal?

Cathay Dragon certainly had an exciting and successful journey in Nepal. This year, Cathay Dragon will celebrate its tenth anniversary since its first flight in Nepal. Over the years, Cathay Dragon has grown with Nepal. We see an increasing number of people who wish to travel abroad hence we continue to increase our capacity to meet the growing demand. The most recent development of Cathay Dragon in Nepal was in November 2016. All flights to Nepal are directly from Hong Kong and vice versa hence no more stopover in Dhaka. This means a better travel experience for our passengers given shorter flying time as well as better connectivity to destinations beyond Hong Kong. Although the journey has been not without challenges such as earthquakes and fuel shortage in 2015, Cathay Dragon looks forward to our next 10 years in Nepal.

How was the performance of the airline in 2016, globally and in Nepal?

2016 was a tough year for the global economy. The aviation industry in particular can be easily affected by multiple external factors such as unstable political environment and terrorism. This can be reflected in the decreased number of tourists visiting Hong Kong. However, Cathay Pacific group did achieve a lot in 2016. For example, we have introduced new destinations which are posting high load factor. On a local level, we are seeing a pickup of tourists coming to Nepal after the Earthquake in 2015.

Can you shed some light on the recent rebranding as Cathay Dragon? What is the logic behind the rebranding and what will be the implications?

Cathay Pacific acquired Dragonair in 2006. Since then, many aspects of the two airlines have been aligned, from the inflight product to brand ethos. Both airlines have come a long way and achieved many worldwide recognitions. Ten years have passed and we believe it is the right time to further align the two airlines. There are two main drivers behind this rebranding. First and foremost are our customers. Cathay Dragon is a brand that can be easily recognised as part of the Cathay Pacific group by our customers, whether they are from Nepal, North America, Europe, Australia or the Middle East. Aligning the two brands closer together will enable us to provide greater convenience and a more seamless travel experience for our customers which underline our promise of a “Life Well Travelled”. Secondly, the rebranding will help to sharpen our competitive edge and capture the fast growing passenger flows across the two carriers. Cathay Dragon’s new livery clearly identifies it as part of the group through the use of Cathay’s iconic brushwing on the aircraft tail.

What is Cathay Dragon’s marketing mix and strategy for Nepal?

At Cathay Dragon, we believe that we enrich our customers’ lives by helping them to travel well. This does not only limit to the inflight experience but apply to the every touch points of the whole journey starting from searching for holiday ideas. We also understand different type of passengers have different needs and desires. Insightful data is key to customers’ heart.

How do you position yourself in competition with other airlines in Nepal?

We continue to promote our home, Hong Kong, as a travel destination. Hong Kong being such a colourful and vibrant city has a lot to offer to its visitors. Further, Hong Kong’s geographic location has huge advantage for connectivity. Half the world’s population is within five hours flight from Hong Kong.