About Cathay Accelerate

Cathay Accelerate is a 12-month innovation programme jointly presented by Cathay and HKSTP to drive digital transformation in aviation. By leveraging HKSTP’s ecosystem of over 2,000 tech ventures, the programme identifies market-ready solutions aligned with Cathay’s business needs, helping validate, refine, and adopt innovations to create future aviation experience. Selected tech ventures collaborate closely with Cathay and HKSTP teams to validate and refine their solutions prior to mass adoption in the aviation industry.

Theme

Inflight Service Delivery is the theme of Cathay Accelerate 2026, spotlighting cabin crew operations across the fleet. From safety and service excellence to customer experience, the focus is on reimagining how we deliver inflight excellence. By embracing innovative solutions, Cathay aims to strengthen safety, improve efficiency, elevate the customer experience, and support our crew - collectively advancing inflight service delivery across the Cathay network.

By addressing real operational challenges faced onboard, Cathay seeks solutions that remove unnecessary complexity, improve situational awareness, and empower crew to focus on delivering high‑quality service to our customers. Through Cathay Accelerate, selected tech ventures will collaborate closely with Cathay teams to validate solutions that can create meaningful impact across inflight operations and the wider customer experience.

What Tech Ventures Will Get

1. Real-world aviation exposure

Work with one of the world’s leading premium airline groups and gain first-hand insight into real operational challenges, user needs, and aviation service environments.

2. Proof-of-Concept (PoC) opportunities
Validate your solution through structured pilot opportunities with Cathay, allowing you to test, refine, and strengthen your product in a live enterprise setting.

3. Direct collaboration with Cathay stakeholders
Engage with Cathay’s business units, technical teams, and operational experts throughout the programme to ensure your solution is aligned with real use cases and implementation needs.

4. Mentorship and ecosystem support
Receive guidance and support from Cathay and HKSTP throughout the programme journey, from challenge scoping to PoC development and final showcase.

5. Stronger market credibility
Strengthen your commercial credibility, refine your value proposition, and open pathways to future enterprise and aviation opportunities.

Submission Guidelines

Tech ventures may request the full challenge statement document for a more comprehensive understanding of Cathay’s business needs. To access this document, an NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement) must first be signed.

To request the full challenge statement document, please submit your request HERE.

Application Method

Submit your proposal HERE.

Solution Proposal Template HERE.

Application Deadline: 30 April 2026 (THU)

Programme Timeline

About Cathay

Cathay is a premium travel lifestyle brand that brings together all that we love about travel with everyday lifestyle. The range of products and services includes flights, holidays, shopping, dining, wellness and payment. All our travel lifestyle offerings are designed to bring customers exciting offers, rewards, experiences and hand-picked partners.

Flights are provided by Cathay Pacific, the home airline of Hong Kong and a founding member of the one world global alliance. The Cathay Group also comprises low-cost carrier HK Express, express all-cargo carrier Air Hong Kong and various subsidiaries.

For eight decades, Cathay Pacific has been connecting our home city of Hong Kong to the world. Now we’re bringing that connection to more of our customers’ lives.