OREANDA-NEWS. May 15, 2014. Cathay Pacific Airways announced the introduction of digital newspapers and magazines for those using the airline’s lounges at Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA). Passengers can enjoy free streaming of more than 2,000 titles from some 100 countries through their personal devices, putting timely world news at their fingertips.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Product Toby Smith said: “We want to ensure that our passengers feel connected, informed and entertained. Our aim is to take advantage of the latest technological solutions to provide the most up-to-date information to our most premium passengers in our lounges.

“Newspaper streaming is just one example of how digital offerings can enhance the overall passenger experience. Currently it is not possible to make a wide selection of local and international printed newspapers available for international passengers travelling from all corners of the world, and newspapers are occasionally out of date by the time they are in our passengers’ hands. However, this digital solution will enable us to deliver up-to-date publications direct to passengers’ personal electronic devices in a very convenient way.”

Using the Wi-Fi network available in the lounges, passengers will be able to enjoy free-of-charge, real-time premium content only available to subscribers in newspapers such as the Financial Times, Hong Kong Economic Journal, International New York Times, Ming Pao, Oriental Daily and the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. Major titles from overseas will include The Daily Telegraph in Australia, The Washington Post in the United States, the UK’s Daily Mail and Le Monde in France, to name just a few.

The digital streaming of newspapers and magazines will be rolled out in phases, starting with The Wing, The Pier, The Cabin and The Bridge from 2 May 2014. The service will then be rolled out for the G16 lounge at HKIA followed progressively by Cathay Pacific lounges in overseas destinations.

Along with access to newspaper and magazine titles, passengers connecting to the airline’s lounge webpage can also access a range of other information including travel advisories, weather forecasts, destination information and online shopping.