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Over the years, I have covered quite a few inaugural flights into Seattle. They are always a hoot, but often there aren’t many surprises. Well, when Cathay Pacific Airlines did an inaugural flight to Seattle (SEA) from Hong Kong (HKG) on March 30, they did things a bit differently, and in a grand way. Not only did I get to experience the normal excitement of being on the ramp to greet the aircraft, but there was also a fun surprise at the gate; plus the airline held a grand gala event later in the evening.
The day started when I awoke and opened FlightRadar24 to see which aircraft was en route. As expected, it was an Airbus A350-900, and it had registration B-LRJ. Then I noticed the photo: it was the retro livery. Booya!
I quickly got some AvGeek goose bumps (yes, that is a thing). The airline calls it the “lettuce sandwich” retro livery and it has a special place in my AvGeek heart. Long before the internet was a thing, I remember looking at L1011s in that very livery in one of my airline books. It was one of my favorites. I never got the chance to see it in person, so here was my opportunity. And, it was extra special because this was also the first time that this retro livery would be flying to the U.S.
As with most of these inaugurals, media and invited guests met at the terminal, and were taken through employee security. We were then escorted to the gate (S12), where there were snacks, a fun backdrop for speeches, and quite a few passengers who didn’t quite know what all the hoopla was about. Soon the neon safety vests were handed out to the media — you always know good times are about to happen when you see those vests!
Next, we were escorted to the ramp and given a short safety briefing. I could see the two airport fire trucks parked and ready to give a water cannon salute. Last time I covered an inaugural, I got soaked due to the wind, so I positioned myself a bit better since it was much colder and it wouldn’t have been fun.
Soon Cathay’s stylish A350 retro livery landed and was set up for the water cannons. It was perfect timing since the airport was foggy while we waited for the flight, but the sun burst through the clouds hitting the bright green paint just after the streams of water were shut off. The green sparkled in the sun — it was beautiful!
As I took photos, I also noticed the starboard wingtip passing above. I felt I could almost reach out to touch it (I opted to not try). After folks were done taking their photos and selfies with the aircraft, we were escorted back inside to the gate for the festivities.
There were the standard speeches you might expect from leaders with the Port of Seattle and Cathay Pacific, and a ribbon cutting to mark the start of the inaugural flight.
However, there was a special part of the celebration that made me smile: the lion dance. Trying to explain it with a few photos and words doesn’t do it justice, so be sure to check out this short 17s video. The characters even danced among the passengers waiting for the flight. It was quite the scene!
Soon it was time to wait for the flight to depart. We went to a private viewing spot on the airport’s roof and it didn’t even matter that the flight was a bit delayed. I was having a great time watching all the airliners come and go. Plus, I got to see Alaska’s new 787 for the first time in person (I gotta say it looks snazzy).
Then it was the Lettuce Sandwich’s turn, and the A350 pulled out, lined up on runway 34R, and took off headed to Hong Kong.
Normally that would be the end of the celebration, but not for Cathay. They held a fancy gala event at the Chihuly Garden and Glass at the base of the Space Needle in downtown Seattle that same evening. So, after a few hours of rest, I dressed up in my suit and headed out.
There was good food, good people (about 200 in attendance), and fun little side shows, such as being able to get a custom-made passport cover or unique candy made right in front of you. This sort of event reminded me more of airlines celebrating their first 787 back in the day than it did an inaugural flight. It was all quite impressive.
The airline will be flying to Seattle five times per week, and this is their ninth U.S. destination. The airline previously flew to Seattle, and stopped service back in 2020 due to the covid pandemic. They are hoping to stay in Seattle long-term and not have a need for a third inaugural flight.
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