Sep 05, 2011 5:04 AM EDT
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HONG KONG -(Dow Jones)- Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd. (0293.HK) Chief Executive John Slosar said Monday the Hong Kong-based airline is "looking actively" at new routes, including the possibility of launching services to Latin America and adding flights to Africa.

Slosar told a luncheon that the airline, which last week launched daily passenger flights to Chicago, is expanding rapidly with 95 new passenger and cargo jets on order, and the added capacity is opening doors to new routes. Cathay Pacific, controlled by conglomerate Swire Pacific Ltd. (0019.HK), currently operates nearly 130 aircraft.

Slosar, a Swire veteran who took the helm of Cathay Pacific in March, said the airline is investing heavily in both aircraft and services to capitalize on the civil aviation market's growth in the region, fueled in large part by rising outbound international travel among mainland Chinese.

His optimism comes despite weak first-half results for the blue-chip airline, which last month reported a 59% year-on-year fall in net profit due to tepid demand and rising fuel costs.