Cathay the airline would cross the Pacific Ocean from China. Cathay Bank is a bank with multiple branches throughout the United States and overseas. Cathay Cineplex is a cinema operator in Singapore. Cathay Cathay () is an alternative historical name for China in English. During the early modern period Europeans thought of "Cathay" as a completely separate and distinct culture from China. As knowledge of East Asia increased, Cathay came to be seen as the same nation as China and the term '"Cathay" became a poetic name for the nation. The name "Cathay" originates from the word Khitan (), the name
Cathay Pacific Cathay Pacific temporarily took over Philippine Airlines's domestic and international operations during its fourteen-day shutdown (from 26 September – 7 October 1998). The airline was hurt by the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s, but recorded a record HK$5 billion profit in 2000. On Monday, 6 July 1998, at 00:00 HKT, Kai Tak International Airport saw its last commercial departure, Cathay Pacific Flight 251 (a Boeing 747-400) to London Heathrow Airport, after over 73 years of operation. The next day, Cathay Pacific Flight 889 (a Boeing 747-400 from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport piloted by Captain Paul