Cathay Pacific Airways has announced that it will launch its first round-theworld freighter service on 9 July. The carrier said that it has spent months developing the new route, which will initially be operated twice weekly using a B747-400 freighter. The 44.5 hour (including ground handling time) routing will be: Hong Kong-Anchorage-Chicago- Amsterdam-Dubai-Hong Kong.

The round-the-world flight is an extension of Cathay Pacific’s existing service to Chicago – the airline currently serves the city with eight flights per week.