Exclusive | Cathay Pacific advert showing same-sex couple banned from Hong Kong’s MTR and airport

Visual showing two men strolling hand in hand along a beach was part of Move Beyond rebrand and intended to highlight airline’s attitude towards diversity

Sources say LGBT advert was only one from campaign not being shown at prime locations across Hong Kong, including major interchange stations on rail network

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Cathay Pacific’s ad campaign is displayed on giant LCD screens at the Sogo department store in Causeway Bay. Photo: Felix Wong

Published: 8:00am, 20 May 2019Updated: 2:20pm, 20 May 2019

Two leading transport companies in Hong Kong have refused permission for an advert showing a same-sex couple to be displayed, the Post has learned.

The advert, which showed two men strolling hand in hand along a beach, was part of a broader Cathay Pacific Airways rebranding campaign called Move Beyond and was intended to highlight the airline’s attitude to diversity.

Both the Airport Authority, which runs the city’s airport, and the MTR Corporation rejected the LGBT content, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

Several other adverts from the rebrand were on display in prominent sites across Hong Kong, including one of Asia-Pacific’s largest LCD screens at Sogo mall in Causeway Bay and major MTR interchange stations including Central.

The airline also told staff at an internal meeting that one of the key messages of the rebrand was to “fly with pride for our LGBT community allies”. Photo: Handout

The sources said the LGBT advert was the only one from the campaign not selected to be displayed at the station.

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