Latest news with #PatrickHealy
New York Times
08-08-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
How Three Journalists Tracked the Deadly Aid Crisis in Gaza
Times Insider explains who we are and what we do and delivers behind-the-scenes insights into how our journalism comes together. How do journalists cover a conflict they can't witness firsthand? That's one of the hardest parts of reporting on the Israel-Hamas war: Israel restricts outside journalists from entering Gaza on their own, though a few have entered with the Israeli military; they can't interview people or walk with them to document the dangers of getting food. They can't talk to Hamas militants or Israeli soldiers freely. But war reporters find ways to get the truth. Last month, after a number of violent incidents near aid sites in Gaza, several of my New York Times colleagues huddled and discussed why the sites had become so deadly. That question led them to examine satellite imagery, video from Gaza and data from Israel, the U.N. and other sources, and to report with officials and others in the region. The reporting resulted in a Times article, 'How Did Hunger Get So Much Worse in Gaza?,' which uses maps and graphics to show readers the situation in Gaza and how hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, many of them by Israeli forces, while heading toward these aid sites. I hosted an online conversation with three colleagues who worked on the piece to discuss why they pursued the story, how a collaboration like this works at The Times and what their reporting brought to light. This conversation has been edited and condensed. Patrick Healy, assistant managing editor based in New York: I was a Boston Globe reporter in Afghanistan after Sept. 11, and in Iraq in 2003, and was able to get to cities like Kandahar and Falluja to talk to a lot of people. Gaza is so different — The Times has two local journalists on the ground there, but this war also forces reporters to think about storytelling beyond the in-person interview. Why did you decide to pursue this story? Aaron Boxerman, reporter based in Jerusalem: Gaza's humanitarian crisis has been a key reporting target for us since the war began. And things have deteriorated dramatically, beginning in March with an Israeli decision to block practically all aid going into Gaza. We wanted to map out how some of these policies had played out on the ground, where the situation has also been complicated by rampant lawlessness. Hamas has also made it difficult for journalists on the ground to operate freely, and intimidates its critics in Gaza, which has a chilling effect on people. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Star
08-08-2025
- Business
- The Star
Hong Kong's Cathay posts 1.1% rise in first-half net profit, orders new planes
Cathay Pacific Airways has reported a 1.1 per cent year-on-year rise in net profit to HK$3.65 billion (US$465 million) for the first six months of 2025 thanks to a resilient cargo business, and plans to order another 14 new aircraft. Hong Kong's flag carrier announced on Wednesday that it would buy 14 Boeing 777-9 jets as part of an agreement made in 2013 with the US-based manufacturer, under which it earlier ordered 21 aircraft of the same model scheduled for delivery in 2027 or later. Cathay Group also secured the rights to acquire up to seven more Boeing 777-9 aircraft. The list price for the 14 aircraft is at least HK$63.2 billion but Cathay said it had received concessions from Boeing and the bill would be lower than that. The jets are expected to be delivered by 2034 and the carrier intends to finance the purchase through commercial bank loans, company cash and other methods. Cathay also said that the new fuel-friendly jets would replace some of its existing long-haul widebody aircraft and serve long-haul and selected regional destinations. Group chairman Patrick Healy said that the deal would bring the total number of Boeing 777-9 aircraft ordered to 35 and boost the group's overall investments to more than HK$100 billion over the coming years. 'Over the past few years, we have embarked on an all-encompassing fleet renewal and expansion plan, which includes orders for over 100 new narrowbody, regional widebody, long-haul widebody and large freighter aircraft,' he said. 'The new order brings our total investment to well over HK$100 billion, which also includes new cabin products, lounges and digital innovation, further strengthening the Hong Kong international aviation hub and elevating the customer experience to new heights.' The carrier announced in 2024 that it would roll out a major investment initiative, committing more than HK$100 billion over seven years and covering the purchase of 100 aircraft. On the purchase of Boeing jets, Healy said Cathay had a strong relationship with both the US manufacturer and European firm Airbus going back decades and that the company had confidence in both of its key airframe suppliers. Chief operations and service delivery officer Alex McGowan acknowledged that Boeing had experienced a troubled period in recent years. But he said Cathay was very 'encouraged by the renewed focus that Boeing leadership has on engineering and production quality', as well as restarting its certification flight tests. As to calls by Airport Authority CEO Vivian Cheung for Cathay to double its passenger numbers to cater to the added capacity of Hong Kong International Airport, Healy only said that the company was going all out to support the airport's development. He added that the robust, sustainable financial growth was thanks to strong passenger traffic and lower fuel prices. 'Our first-half result was driven by higher passenger volumes, albeit with lower yields, a consistent cargo performance, and lower fuel prices compared with the same period in 2024,' he said, announcing that the first interim dividend remained the same at 20 HK cents a share. The group also posted a 9.5 per cent increase in revenue, reaching HK$54.3 billion compared with HK$49.6 billion in the same period last year. Cathay's budget arm, HK Express, saw its loss before net finance charges and taxation widen to HK$524 million in the first half, up from HK$73 million in the same period last year. The group said it felt the impact of earthquake rumours related to Japan, which drove passengers away from the country, its core market. It added that new routes took time to generate contributions. Cathay Pacific CEO Ronald Lam Siu-por said the company was still confident about the budget airline's future as the challenges were only short-term. 'When we look at HK Express, its fundamentals are very strong and keep improving. And that gives us confidence about its long-term future,' he said. 'And we believe that, given time, many of these routes will come to be profitable as the months go by.' Cathay alone carried 13.6 million passengers in the first half of the year, a 27.8 per cent year-on-year jump from 10.66 million. The carrier's passenger revenue jumped 9.5 per cent to HK$54.3 billion in the first half year on year. The group in June announced it had hit 100 destinations after a two-year rebuilding journey following the devastation of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Cathay's staff costs rose 19.8 per cent to HK$7.44 billion, accounting for 18.4 per cent of operating expenses. Staffing is the airline's second-largest expense after fuel. Cargo revenue increased 2.2 per cent to HK$11.1 billion compared with the first half of 2024, with the company saying its cargo business demonstrated resilience despite tariff risks amid geopolitical tensions and the trade conflict between the United States and China. Cathay said it managed to leverage its global network and redeploy capacity to take advantage of areas where markets were still strong. So far, the group has hired more than 3,700 pilots, still below the pre-pandemic number of 3,800. In March, the company reported 1 per cent growth in profit to HK$9.9 billion in 2024 compared with a year earlier, marking its second consecutive year of robust performance driven by stronger cargo and passenger demand, lower fuel prices and higher cost efficiencies. The group's share price dropped 9.66 per cent to HK$10.85 on Wednesday after the financial results and the aircraft deal were announced. The benchmark Hang Seng Index rose 0.03 per cent.
Kuwait Times
07-08-2025
- Business
- Kuwait Times
Cathay Pacific unveils deal to buy 14 Boeing jets
HONG KONG: Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it would place an US$8.1-billion order for 14 Boeing jets, its first with the US aircraft maker for more than a decade. In a filing to the city's stock exchange, the airline said it would 'purchase 14 Boeing 777-9 aircraft' and had 'secured the right to acquire up to seven additional Boeing 777-9 aircraft'. Cathay already has a fleet of more than 230 mostly passenger aircraft. The new order expects the aircraft to be delivered by 2034, according to a separate filing. Cathay was one of the first buyers to commit to Boeing's 777X program when it unveiled the purchase of 21 aircraft in 2013. Boeing said in a statement the new deal brought the order book of 777-9 aircraft—'the world's largest twin-engine airplane'—to 35. The jets, designed to reduce fuel use and emissions, would meet Cathay's growing global travel demand, Boeing added. Hong Kong's aviation sector was hit hard by COVID-era policies, which imposed strict rules on travelers that kept it internationally isolated before they were lifted in late 2022. In 2024 Cathay's attributable profit rose slightly to US$1.27 billion and it announced earlier this year that its flights were finally back to pre-pandemic levels. On Wednesday, the firm reported its attributable profit rose slightly to HK$3.65 billion (US$4.65 million) in the first six months of 2025, benefiting from a pick-up in travel demand in Asia. Total revenue in that period increased 9.5 percent to US$6.92 billion. The company also declared an interim dividend of HK$20 cents per share. Chairman Patrick Healy heralded a 'solid financial performance' in the filing. 'Our first-half result was driven by higher passenger volumes albeit with lower yields, a consistent cargo performance, and lower fuel price compared with the same period in 2024,' Healy said. The company's passenger airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express, have launched or announced 19 new destinations so far in 2025, with 'more to come', he said, adding that they now fly to more than 100 passenger destinations. The airline this month said it had resumed direct flights to Brussels after a long break caused by the pandemic. Cathay carried a total of 13.6 million passengers in the first half of this year—an average of 75,300 per day, and up 28 percent from the same period last year. But the firm also saw a drop of 0.6 percent in profit margin for the first half of the year. And Wednesday's results were also dragged down by rising costs, while Healy warned in the filing that its low-cost airline HK Express was facing short-term challenges as a pick-up in bookings was 'yet to return to normal levels'. Cathay's share price in Hong Kong fell more than nine percent. — AFP
Qatar Tribune
06-08-2025
- Business
- Qatar Tribune
Cathay Pacific unveils deal to buy 14 Boeing jets
Agencies Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific said Wednesday it would place an US$8.1-billion order for 14 Boeing jets, its first with the US aircraft maker for more than a decade. In a filing to the city's stock exchange, the airline said it would 'purchase 14 Boeing 777-9 aircraft' and had 'secured the right to acquire up to seven additional Boeing 777-9 aircraft'. Cathay already has a fleet of more than 230 mostly passenger aircraft. The new order expects the aircraft to be delivered by 2034, according to a separate filing. Cathay was one of the first buyers to commit to Boeing's 777X program when it unveiled the purchase of 21 aircraft in said in a statement the new deal brought the order book of 777-9 aircraft—'the world's largest twin-engine airplane'—to 35. The jets, designed to reduce fuel use and emissions, would meet Cathay's growing global travel demand, Boeing added. Hong Kong's aviation sector was hit hard by COVID-era policies, which imposed strict rules on travelers that kept it internationally isolated before they were lifted in late 2022. In 2024 Cathay's attributable profit rose slightly to US$1.27 billion and it announced earlier this year that its flights were finally back to pre-pandemic levels. On Wednesday, the firm reported its attributable profit rose slightly to HK$3.65 billion in the first six months of 2025, benefiting from a pick-up in travel demand in Asia. Total revenue in that period increased 9.5 percent to US$6.92 billion. The company also declared an interim dividend of HK$20 cents per share. Chairman Patrick Healy heralded a 'solid financial performance' in the filing. 'Our first-half result was driven by higher passenger volumes albeit with lower yields, a consistent cargo performance, and lower fuel price compared with the same period in 2024,' Healy said. The company's passenger airlines, including Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Express, have launched or announced 19 new destinations so far in 2025, with 'more to come', he said, adding that they now fly to more than 100 passenger destinations.
Business Times
06-08-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Cathay Pacific warns of declining fares and cargo uncertainty, shares fall
[HONG KONG] Cathay Pacific Airways warned on Wednesday (Aug 6) of declining airfares, challenges at its budget carrier and uncertain cargo market conditions, sending its shares down almost 10 per cent to a one-month low. Hong Kong's flagship airline also said it had ordered 14 more Boeing 777-9 wide-body jets as it expands long-haul routes, taking its total orders for the model to 35 with options for another seven. Cathay's first-half profit rose 1 per cent to HK$3.65 billion (S$597.7 million) on a strong jump in passenger numbers, lower fuel prices and a steady cargo performance. But passenger yields, a proxy for airfares, fell 12.3 per cent at its main brand and 21.6 per cent at low-cost carrier HK Express, as Cathay and its rivals added capacity. 'HK Express continues to face short-term challenges,' chairman Patrick Healy said after the budget airline posted a first-half loss of HK$524 million, before net finance charges and taxation. Healy said Cathay was taking a long-term view and expected HK Express to become profitable. BT in your inbox Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox. Sign Up Sign Up Cathay shares ended 9.7 per cent lower at their lowest close since Jul 4, having seen their biggest one-day percentage drop since January 2021. The benchmark Hang Seng Index gained 0.3 per cent. 'The results were in line with expectations but the performance from the budget airline segment was not impressive,' said Steven Leung, a sales director in Hong Kong at brokerage UOB Kay Hian. Yields at Asia's airlines are coming down from post-pandemic record highs as carriers add capacity, intensifying competition. Asian peer Singapore Airlines said last week its yields declined 3.5 per cent in the April to June quarter, while those at its low-cost carrier Scoot fell 4.7 per cent. Cathay's chief commercial officer Lavinia Lau said a rise in long-haul flights and transit passengers was also pushing yields lower. North America yields took the biggest hit, falling by 17.5 per cent, and pressure on those routes could continue as Cathay added 50 per cent more US-bound capacity this summer and US visa issues for Chinese nationals may impact traveller numbers, Lau said. Bookings for Japan have not yet recovered to normal levels since a substantial drop-off in June amid rumours an earthquake would strike the country, CEO Ronald Lam said. Based at the world's busiest cargo airport, Cathay is one of Asia's largest cargo carriers and has benefitted from rising volumes of e-commerce out of China. Cathay said its cargo business showed resilience despite uncertainty caused by changes to US tariffs this year, in particular the cancellation of a duty-free exemption for low-value packages from China. The cargo division's half-year revenue rose 2.2 per cent, while yields fell 3.4 per cent. Cathay's order for 14 more 777-9 planes with GE engines exercised options secured in a 2013 order for 21 of the jets. It expects delivery by 2034. The long-delayed 777-9, Boeing's latest version of its 777, has not yet been certified. The model is undergoing flight testing and Boeing hopes to start deliveries next year. Cathay said it expects its first 777-9 delivery in 2027. REUTERS
