Confidence returns to sector; says Virgin

Virgin Atlantic Airways said cautious optimism was returning to the aviation industry in China
following announcements that the Sars virus had peaked. However the general manager of
its China office, Jon Harding, said it would still take a few months for the airline to return to
normal loads in China.
Cathay Pacific was carrying around 11,000 passengers a day in
early June, up from a low of 7,000 in May, said company chairman James Hughes-Hallett.
However, this was well down on the average pre-Sars load of 32,000 a day, and the 27,000
passen-gers needed for the airline to break even.
Meanwhile, Cathay announced that it
had been given permission to operate three daily flights between Hong Kong and Beijing
starting from the end of October.