Cathay Pacific Airways (Hong Kong) on May 3 launched a new four-times-weekly service from Boston Logan International Airport to Hong Kong with a first flight celebration that included a traditional lion dance and traditional roast pig cutting ceremony, which is meant to bless and wish the new flight good luck. Special guests included Kenneth Brissette, Director of Sports Tourism and Entertainment for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and Todd Smith, Director of Aviation Operations for Massport.

Above Photo: Cathay Pacific. Ribbon cutting ceremony at Cathay Pacific gate with: Kenneth Brissette, Director of Sports Tourism and Entertainment for the City of Boston, John Slosar, Chairman of Cathay Pacific, Todd Smith, Director of Aviation Operations, Massport, Tom Owen, Senior VP, Americas, and Fawwad Toor, Airport Services Manager, Boston Logan Airport, Cathay Pacific.

Above Photo: Cathay Pacific. Cathay Pacific’s first flight arrives at the gate at Boston Logan International Airport.

The new nonstop service links New England and Hong Kong directly for the first time, and marks Cathay Pacific’s sixth gateway in the United States, and eighth in North America. The airline already serves Chicago (daily), Los Angeles (four times daily), New York JFK (four times daily), Newark (daily), San Francisco (moving from twice daily to 17 flights per week in June), Toronto (10 flights per week) and Vancouver (twice daily).

Boston is the largest U.S.-Hong Kong market without nonstop service. More than 53,000 passengers flew between Logan and Hong Kong in 2013.

The Boston service will be operated by Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft.

The flight schedule for Cathay Pacific’s Boston (BOS) service, is as follows (all times local):

Top Copyright Photo: SPA/AirlinersGallery.com (all others by Cathay Pacific). Boeing 777-367 ER B-KPT (msn 37896) climbs away from London (Heathrow).

Cathay Pacific aircraft slide show: