Author: Sharon Nagel, journalist
Ronald Khoo, Wine, Spirits & Beverages manager for the Hong Kong-based carrier Cathay Pacific, explains how altitude, taste and brand strategy shape one of the world’s most sophisticated airline wine programmes.
Credit: ©Cathay Pacific
In 2025, Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific carried more than 28 million air passengers and was recognised by Skytrax as one of the world’s top three airlines. As a premium carrier – celebrating its 80th anniversary this year – Cathay Pacific’s wine programme is a direct extension of brand identity.
“We’re about quiet luxury; we’re elegant, not bling. We’re thoughtful but at the same time progressive,” says the airline’s Wine, Spirits & Beverages Manager Ronald Khoo, who moved into fine wine after a career in accounting. A former importer and retailer, Khoo brings a rare dual perspective on on-trade dynamics and the constraints at 35,000 feet.
At altitude, the wine list sits at the crossroads of sensory science, operational discipline and brand strategy – a complexity often underestimated by producers targeting the channel. In the low-humidity, high-noise cabin environment, passengers can lose up to a third of their olfactory sensitivity. Bitterness is amplified, while nuance is muted.
“Lower cabin pressure, reduced humidity and the hum of the engine at 80-85 decibels all affect how we taste – particularly humidity, which suppresses the nose. And 80% of perception comes from smell,” Khoo explains. “We look for wines that are more fruit-forward, with balanced oak, to overcompensate for the reduced ability to smell,” he says. “I look for balanced wines that flow – like an orchestra where everybody’s playing the correct tune.”
First-class performers
Credit: ©Cathay Pacific
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