‘Like a dream come true’: Hong Kong students from poor families given lift with free flight, mentorship programme

Students, accompanied by mentors, take 90-minute flight over Hong Kong before returning to airport

Mentors belong to government scheme aimed at helping children improve communication, widen social networks and understand need for career planning

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Jenny Lau poses for a photograph aboard the free Cathay flight on Sunday. Photo: Willa Wu

Published: 9:40pm, 21 May 2023Updated: 6:05am, 22 May 2023

Jenny Lau Wan-ching, 15, was thrilled when she boarded a plane at Hong Kong’s airport on Sunday to fly for the first time in her life, which she predicted would feel like riding a roller coaster.

“Today is like a dream come true,” she said. “I am excited. My family has never taken me out of town.”

Jenny and about 84 other students were taking part in a programme run by Cathay Pacific Airways, the city’s flag carrier, that allowed children from low-income families to enjoy the thrill of flying, an experience they might not otherwise have due to the cost of air travel.

The students, accompanied by mentors, boarded an Airbus A350-1000 and took a 90-minute flight over Hong Kong before returning to the airport.

The carrier has held eight such flights for young people since 2007, but was forced to suspend the programme during the coronavirus pandemic.

Programme participants at the airport with their boarding passes. Photo: Jonathan Wong

For Jenny, every aspect of the journey was new, from lining up at the check-in counter to passing through customs and security.