Greg Hughes has been appointed general manager South West Pacific for Cathay Pacific Airways replacing Ivan Chu, who will leave Sydney in August to return to Hong Kong to take up the role of director - service delivery, for the carrier.

Hughes, currently general manager purchasing and aircraft trading, will also be appointed a director of John Swire & Sons Pty Ltd, parent company of the Australian arm of Swire Group.

Hughes joined the Swire group in 1987. Initially, he worked in the shipping division and was transferred to Cathay Pacific in 1990. He has previously worked with the airline in Japan, Korea and Indonesia in commercial and sales related positions as well as in Hong Kong in airport operations, business improvement and marketing.

He was born and educated in Sydney and is married with three children.