From airlines to aircraft engineering and maintenance, Swire's aviation businesses are devoted to operational excellence. The publicly listed Cathay Pacific Airways and its sister airline Hong Kong Dragonair Airlines Limited (Dragonair) have a combined passenger and cargo network covering over 140 destinations around the world. Based in Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are committed to strengthening Hong Kong's position as a global aviation hub.

As the major player in Hong Kong's aviation industry, Swire includes airlines, inflight catering, aircraft maintenance, cargo handling and ground services at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) amongst its businesses. The all-cargo airline Air Hong Kong (AHK), of which Cathay Pacific has a 60% interest, operates express cargo services to major Asian cities on behalf of DHL. Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company (HAECO) is one of the largest aeronautical engineering companies in Asia, providing round-the-clock maintenance, repair and overhaul services at HKIA. Mainland China-based subsidiary TaiKoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering Company (TAECO) operates one of the largest aircraft engineering facilities in the world at Xiamen.

The strategic partnership between Cathay Pacific and Air China has formed one of the industry's strongest groupings. Cathay Pacific is one of the world's leading international carriers, operating one of the most modern fleets in the skies and has an outstanding reputation for the quality of its service. The airline defines its approach to customer care simply as 'Service Straight From the Heart'.

The integrity of Cathay Pacific's approach has yielded numerous awards, including being named 'Airline of the Year' in the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards three times during the last ten years. Dragonair, meanwhile, has been voted 'Best Airline - China' for six consecutive years and 'World's Best Regional Airline' in the Skytrax Awards for the second year in a row.